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THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER ; 


OK, 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860-61. 


"By  The  Private  Secretary  to  ,  etc/ 


NEW    YORK: 
FREDERIC     A.     BRADY,     PUBLISHER, 

No.    22    ANN    STREET. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1867, 

By  J.  B.  NEWBROUGH, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern  District 

of  New  York. 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER 


LOVE    AND    WAR    IN    1860. 


A    SORT    OF    PREFACE. 

Just  before  the  war,  our  country  was  almost  without  news.  We  were  obliged 
to  make  the  most  of  everything,  in  order  to  have  excitement  enough  to  live  on. 
Many  cultivated,  rich,  and  ease-loving  gentlemen  used  to  spend  their  time  in 
the  National  Capitol,  and,  to  while  away  that  time,  as  the  over-full  enjoyment  went 
on,  they  were  put  to  many  straits  for  something  to  talk  of. 

In  the  summer  of  1857,  a  party — myself  among  others — established  a  select 
court,  criminal,  civil,  and  elite.  The  whole  object  and  end,  however,  of  this  court, 
was  to  amuse  and  interest  ourselves.  We  had  a  definite  organization,  and  seldom 
varied  from  the  established  rules  of  an  ordinary  court.  We  had  for  our  judge  a 
portly  man  of  about  fifty — the  most  eccentric,  good-natured,  well-informed  kind  of 
fool  you  ever  saw ;  more  of  a  gentleman  than  Falstaff — less  a  drinker ;  more  of  a 
wit — less  a  knave :  and,  as  Jenkins  says,  about  the  same  to  America  that  Falstaff 
was  to  England. 

Jenkins,  whose  real  name  was  Rumor,  and  who  fashions  the  bulk  of  this  history, 
had  been  for  many  years  a  reporter ;  but,  having  recently  come  into  the  possession 
of  a  fortune,  no  longer  followed  his  pursuit,  except  for  amusement.  Rumor  had 
it,  too,  that  about  the  time  referred  to  he  was  in  love  with  the  Judge's  niece,  after- 
wards well  known  by  the  battles  in  the  neighborhood  of  Loudon  Heights. 

The  other  members  of  our  court  constituted  the  jury,  plaintiffs,  defendants,  wit- 
nesses, et  cetera.  As  you  will  perceive,  if  you  read  this  history  far  enough,  our 
court  had  also  to  do  with  courtships  and  marriages,  and  did  really  have  contact 
with  the  outside  world  as  much  as  was  generally  supposed  at  that  period.  I 
continued  a  member  of  this  court  until  the  war  broke  out,  and  then,  being  a 
Northerner,  I  withdrew,  taking  no  further  interest  in  the  matter,  only  so  far  that  I 
always  remembered  with  great  joy  the  pleasant  hours  I  had  passed.  During  all 
this  long  war,  I  was  left  entirely  to  my  own  conjectures  about  my  former  com- 
panions, and  of  their  whereabouts.  Neither  did  I  know  who,  since  that  time, 
had  taken  charge  of  the  marriages  and  courtships  that  were  the  life  of  Wash- 
ington. 

602892 


iv  A  SOPwT  OF  PEEFACE. 

One  day,  not  long  ago,  Jenkins,  that  is  to  say,  Rumor,  came  into  my  office,  and  I 
was  right  glad  to  see  him.  He  said  he  was  broke — dead  broke — and  indeed  he 
looked  a  good  deal  discouraged ;  but  I  gave  him  wine,  and  he  rallied  rapidly.  When 
he  was  himself  again,  he  said  I  was  the  cleverest  man  he  ever  knew,  and  that  I 
might  as  easily  get  a  monument  to  my  greatness  as  any  one,  if  I  would  only  fix 
up  his  notes  and  publish  them :  for,  he  said,  they  contained  not  only  the  full  his- 
tory of  the  rebellion,  but  all  the  fashions,  marriages,  and  courtships  during  the  whole 
four  years.  I  gave  him  more  wine,  and  he  said  I  was  a  good-looking  man,  and 
that  no  other  should  have  the  privilege  in  so  great  a  work  as  that  he  was  going  to  offer 
me,  and  that  was,  that  when  I  was  dead  and  gone  my  picture  should  be  in  the 
frontispiece.  He  unfolded  a  large  bundle  of  papers  and  handed  me  a  large  basket- 
ful beside.  "  Good  Lord,"  said  I,  "  must  I  rewrite  all  these,  in  order  to  be  great  ?  " 
But  he  smiled,  and  said,  "  You,  sir,  that  have  read  all  languages  ;  that  have  trav- 
elled all  over  the  world ;  that  have  studied  and  labored  for  thirty  years  in  literature ; 
that  know  all  men  and  value  them  so  highly ;  that  look  from  your  aerial  posi- 
tion ;  (I  am  very  tall)  you,  to  talk  of  all  these  ?  " 

When  he  tumbled  out  the  basketful,  I  saw  that  the  manuscripts  were  in  phono- 
graphic characters,  and  told  him  I  could  not  decipher  them.  But  he  said  he  would 
furnish  me  an  interpreter,  and  all  I  had  to  do  was  to  write.  I  thought  I  would  give 
him  another  glass  of  wine,  which,  when  he  had  finished  it,  he  pronounced  excellent, 
and  then  he  went  on, 

"  Who  wrote  the  best  history  of  England  ?  Shakespeare.  Who  the  best  of 
Scotland  ?  Scott.  And  we  all  know  who  wrote  the  best  history  of  knight  errantry. 
They  dealt  in  love  affairs,  and  you  know  we  prize  them  first.  Now  I  will  venture 
to  say  that  there  is  not  a  man  or  woman  this  side  of  Jersey  who  does  not  feel  a 
tingle  of  joy  on  learning  the  finale  of  some  spirited  amour ;  and,  for  that  reason 
I  want  you  to  salt  these  things  down." 

With  that  he  tossed  them  into  my  arms,  saying,  "  You  know  one  of  the  rules  of  the 
club  was  that  no  member  could  refuse  to  do  what  was  ordered  by  a  superior." 
I  took  them,  and  he  immediately  translated  a  portion  to  me,  beginning  with  the 
session  of  the  Chicago  convention.  Now  if  you  will  be  kind  enough  to  read  what 
follows,  you  will  learn  the  things  that  Jenkins  wrote. 


CHAPTER    I. 


THE   FRACAS    IN   THE    TELEGRAPH    OFFICE. JUDGE    UNDERBILL    OF    LOUDON    HEIGHTS, 

AND   ALSO    SOME    OF   THE    DARK   LIGHTS. 


About  twenty  of  us  were  waiting  in  the 
office,  and  about  forty  others  outside.  We 
were  waiting  for  news  from  the  Chicago 
Convention.  I  did  not  know  at  that  time 
who  Khett  was,  but  was  told  afterwards 
that  he  was  editor  and  proprietor  of  the 
Charleston  Mercury.  Whilst  the  talk  was 
going  on  in  the  office,  I  heard  a  Mr. 
Jones  ask  how  far  it  was  to  Chicago. 
The  conversation  turned  on  politics,  and  a 
Mr.  Smith  became  engaged  in  angry  words 
with  Jones.  The  latter  said  he  was  in 
favor  of  freedom  in  the  Territories,  and  the 
former  thereupon  accused  him  of  saying  "  a 
nigger  is  as  good  as  a  white  man."  It 
was  like  all  political  rows,  beginning  in 
calm  argument,  but  ending  in  violence  and 
shame.  Then  came  the  flourish  of  weapons, 
knives  and  pistols. 

At  this  instant  Rhett  and  Johnson 
rushed  upon  them.  Rhett  said,  "  Gentle- 
men, what  would  you  do  ?  Must  such 
trifling  words  incite  you  to  deeds  of 
blood  ?  "  He  took  Smith,  and  Johnson 
took  Jones,  and  they  were  bearing  them 
back,  when  Smith  said,  "  What,  shall  he 
deride  my  native  state  ?  "  Jones  replied, 
"  I  did  not."  "  You  did  !  "  says  Smith. 
"  You  cast  a  slur  on  Breckenridge,  and  he 
and  I  are  Kentuckians."  "  That  is  too  far- 
fetched ''  said  Jones ;  but  thereupon  Smith 
tore  himself  away  from  Rhett,  reiterat- 
ing, "  Coward,  you  say  a  nigger  is  as  good 
as  a  white  man."  He  flew  at  Jones,  but 
the  crowd  interfered  and  forcibly  ejected 
him  from  the  office. 

As  soon  as  quiet  was  restored,  Rhett 
said,  "  Did  ever  man  take  offence  so  easily ; 
did  ever  man  so  hastily  come  to  a  base 
conclusion.  A  dozen  words,  and  then  to 
knives  and  pistols."  He  then  called  John- ! 
son,  and  Johnson  said,  "  Well  sir."  Rhett 
being  old,  and  somewhat  excited,  leaned 
on  Johnson's  arm,  his  hand  on  his  shoul- 
der, and  he  facing  the  crowd,  "  This  is 
indeed  approaching  war,"  he  continued ; 
"  all  men,  and  on  all  occasions,  meet  now, 
but  to  discuss  North  and  South.  Brooks 
bled  poor  Sumner  for  this,  and  for  as 
trifling  a  matter  as  this  between  Jones  and 
Smith.  Sumner  spoke,  Brooks  took  offence 
— not  for  what  Sumner  said,  but  for  what 


he  himself  inferred  might  have  been 
spoken.  Brooks  loved  offence  more  than 
even  justice,  and  so  do  we  all.  We  have 
had  no  war  for  fifty  years,  and  we  have 
become  chronic.  The  Creator  designs 
that  there  shall  be  a  grand  upheaval  in 
this  nation.  We  have  not  learned  to 
govern  ourselves  with  moderation  and 
reason,  and  the  scourge  of  war  is  already 
in  embryo  in  every  man's  breast.  These 
trifles  which  we  behold,  are  but  its  leak- 
ings  ;  outbreaks  preliminary  to  a  mighty 
revolution." 

Now,  when  Rhett  began  to  talk,  we 
were  all  silent ;  for  the  wisdom  of  his 
words  showed  us  that  we  were  in  the 
presence  of  a  superior  man.  Up  to  this 
time  I  did  not  know  Johnson,  but  was 
told  who  he  was.  He  replied  to  Rhett  by 
saying,  "  This  is  through  politicians,  and, 
like  their  fellows  in  all  countries,  they 
have  their  hobby  for  electioneering  pur- 
poses. Like  the  Prussian  king,  who  told 
his  subjects  that  the  savages  of  England 
and  France  were  coming,  and  that  they 
should  at  once  invest  him  with  absolute 
power  ;  and  he  promised  that  if  the  coun- 
try would  give  him  his  desire,  he  w< ml'  1 
fill  every  man's  purse  with  gold,  and  his 
stomach  with  beer.  The  opposite  party, 
however,  wishing  to  retain  the  parliament, 
often  came  to  blows  with  the  king's  party, 
who  invariably  retorted  to  them  :  a  So,  you 
say  a  Frenchman,  or  an  Englishman  is  as 
good  as  a  Dutchman."  The  king's  party 
however  succeeded,  and  this  style  of  argu- 
ment is  still  the  basis  of  all  politics.  In 
England,  a  candidate  electioneers  by  say- 
ing he  will  fill  the  stomachs  of  his  consti- 
tuents; or  by  cautioning  him  that  the 
infidel  French  are  coming ;  or,  that  the 
barbarous  Americans  need  watching.  In 
the  South,  we  say  slavery  is  wealth,  give 
us  more  ;  and  our  opposite  party  says  a 
"  negro  is  as  good  as  a  white  man."  Now 
this  is  all  nonsense.  These  are  extreme 
and  ultra  views  which  no  sensible  man  of 
either  party  endorses.  They  are  political 
fabrications.  False,  for  villainous  party 
purposes  only.  What  we  want,  Mr.  Rhett, 
is  concession." 

"  Concession  !  dogs  !  "  said  Rhett,  "  for 


I 


6 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;    OR, 


thirty  years  we  have  conceded  all  to  the 
North  ;  but,  sir,  till  they  get  our  slaves, 
or  we  get  the  government,  I  swear  by 
heavens,  as  I  am  a  man,  this  agitation 
shall  never  cease.  Men  like  you  are  as 
detrimental  to  the  whole  country  as  to  the 
South."  "  Why,  now,  look  you,"  said  John- 
son, "  you  are  like  Jones  and  Smith  ;  like 
Brooks  and  Sumner.  Because  I  said  that 
one  word,  concession,  you  infer  that  I  am 
on  the  opposite  side,  and  might  say  some 
ugly  things." 

"  No,  sir,"  said  Rhett,  "  I  infer  nothing, 
though  the  South  shall  have  her  rights. 
We  have  done  nothing  but  concede.  We 
have  been  battling  like  dogs  for  thirty 
years  to  obtain  even  a  decent  footing  in 
the  West.  Sir,  the  Free  States  are  usurp- 
ing everything.  The  tide  of  these  affairs 
■will  soon  rise,  till  three-quarters  of  the 
States  will  be  free,  and  then  what  becomes 
of  us  ?  We  can  thank  our  stars  for  poor 
Pierce  and  James  Buchanan ;  but — suppose 
a  devil  with  some  shrewd  sense  be  elected 
from  the  North  ?  That  is  the  gist  of  our 
forebodings.  I  tell  you,  Johnson,  sooner 
than  have  this  country  overrun  with  abo- 
litionism, I  would  have  every  man,  woman 
and  child  in  it  annihilated."  * 

Johnson  replied  that  he  considered  him 
one  of  the  greatest  agitators  in  the  coun- 
try. Rhett  denied  it.  He  said  he  only 
wanted  the  rights  of  the  South  guaran- 
teed, though  ere  he  replied  in  full,  the 
place  was  thrown  into  some  confusion 
by  the  entrance  of  Toombs,  Floyd,  Thomp- 
son, Wigfall,  Davis,  Slidell,  Mason,  and 
Yancey, "and  immediately  after  them  came 
Gen.  Scott  leaning  on  the  arm  of  Prescott. 
Johnson  said,  good  humoredly,  "  Here  are 
your  disciples,  only  for  Scott  and  Pres- 
cott." When  he  said  this,  Rhett  leaned 
over  the  railing  to  look  at  Scott  and  Pres- 
cott, and  he  asked  who  that  was  on  whom 
Scott  was  leaning  ?  "  Prescott,"  said  John- 
son ;  "  young  Prescott,  the  son  of  a  wash- 
erwoman.'' "  The  son  of  a  washerwo- 
man !  "  said  Rhett,  and  he  drew  down  his 
eyebrows  and  scowled.  "  The  son  of  a 
washerwoman  !  Well,  it  is  well  that  poor 
men  do  well  in  this  country ;  and  it  is 
ill  that  they  do  ill  in  others.  But  there 
is  a  tide  in  the  affairs  of  nations,  and 
when  it  is  at  the  flood,  why,  it  gets  no 
higher. 

"  Caesar  rose  from  nothing,  but  the  gods 
were  insulted,  and  so  great  Caesar  fell,  and 
with  him  his  countrv.     Caesars  rise  out  of 


*  Those  words  were  thousrht  to  be  too  cood  to  be 
lost,  and  afterwards  appeared  editorially  in  the  col- 
umns of  the  Charleston  Mercury,  and  were  copied  into 
the  New  Orleans  True  Delta,  and  with  even  worse 
threats  attached  to  them. 


every  dunghill  in  America,  and  they  will 
prove  the  death  of  us." 

Johnson  turned  to  him  calmly  and  said, 
"  I,  sir,  am  a  tailor.  I  understand  the 
fashions  of  a  cut.  A  goose,  well  tempered, 
may  smooth  a  thing,  but  if  it  be  too  hot. 
it  burns.  I  know  also  there  may  be  sharp 
things  in  a  poor  garment,  and  even  a  goose 
may  be  made  to  feel  the  prick  of  them." 

Rhett  was  thrown  completely  off  his 
bearings,  and  he  looked  at  Johnson,  sur- 
prised at  him  ;  but  Johnson  walked  away. 
Rhett  stood  for  some  time  looking  after 
him,  and  then  he  said  :  "  A  tailor,  a  wash- 
erwoman's son ;  a  pretty  pass  in  this  our 
great  republic.  Am  I,  that  am  a  fair  gen- 
tleman, bewildered  with  the  things  I  Bee, 
seeing  double,  both  the  false  and  true,  as 
truth ;  or  is  my  native  country  mad  ? 
Mad  !  It  follows  now  an  ape — a  common 
ape  must  rise  and  set  its  nose  for  Congress, 
learn  to  take  offence  and  mimic  gen- 
tlemen. O  heavens  !  shall  never  beam  the 
star  of  glory  on  our  fair  land,  and  wills 
majestic  rise  to  consummate  the  Southern 
Parliament  ?  Shall  not  my  thirty  years  of 
constant  prayer  reach  up  to  Him  who 
notes  a  sparrow's  fall,  and  answer  bring 
imperative — no  North,  no  South,  but  one 
united  whole;  a  country's  laws  for  all; 
not  one  the  sole  inheritor,  nor  property 
devoid  of  bond  up  North  that  is  down 
South  employed  ?  No,  never.  Low  ambi- 
tion rules  the  land.  The  loudest  clamor- 
ing politician  sways  the  universal  mob ; 
villainous  poison  is  secreted  under  the 
name  of  Liberty.  O  Liberty  !  I  sicken  at 
thy  oft  repeated  tale  ;  from  my  very  soul  I 
hurl  thee  into  endless  chaos." 

I  think  he  said  more,  but,  at  this  time, 
some  bustle  occasioned  in  the  office  by  a 
report  coming  from  Chicago,  I  heard 
Cobb  say,  "  You  are  right,  Mr.  Rhett."  I 
have  known  Cobb  for  many  years.  He  is 
a  stoutish  man,  and  often  repeats  what 
others  say.  He  boasts  a  good  deal  for  a 
man  of  his  worth.  "  You  are  right,  Mr. 
Rhett,"  said  he,  "  those  are  my  senti- 
ments ;  "  and  then  he  added  some  oaths 
that  I  do  not  like  to  mention.  Afterwards 
he  shook  hands  with  Rhett,  and  con- 
tinued, "  Our  few  heads  are  more  powerful 
than  were  all  the  warriors  and  philoso- 
phers of  the  Roman  Empire.  We  need 
but  to  rise  and  shake  our  fists  in  the  face 
of  the  world,  and  we  shall  be  the  mightiest 
of  nations.  No  one  dares  oppose  us  ;  only  JQ 
let  us  stick  together  and  get  loose  from  ^?  I 
these  dolts  and  plebeians  that  are  eternally 
robbing  us  of  our  rights  under  the  sicken- 
ing name  of  Liberty.  They  tell  us  we  dare 
not  secede,  what  say  you  ?  "  and  then  he 
made  oath,  adding,  "  It  is  all  gammon," 


LOVE  AND  WAP.  IN  1860. 


using  such  language  that  even  Rhett  and 
Davis  looked  ashamed.* 

Despatches  were  now  coming  from  Chi- 
cago announcing  Seward's  rejection,  and 
the  news  interfered  with  the  conversation. 
We  observed  two  persons,  Madame  Pon- 
chard,  and  a  man  called  Orsini  entering 
the  place.  They  were  a  mysterious  pair. 
She  was  apparently  a  woman  of  great 
wealth,  and  he  a  man  of  neat  and  plain 
attire,  as  if  he  might  be  only  an  attendant. 
Yet  both  were  reserved,  secluded,  diffi- 
dent. She  recognized  by  nearly  all  of  the 
great  men  present  by  a  polite  bow  ;  he 
unnoticed.  As  soon  as  they  had  passed 
indifferently  aside,  as  if  to  await  the  news 
from  Chicago,  we  were  still  further  inter- 
ested by  the  entrance  of  another  person — 
a  woman  of  strange  and  noticeable  mark  : 
a  tall,  serene  person  she  was,  and  of  an 
age  no  man  might  question.  She  came  in 
so  boldly,  and  looked  around  with  such 
commanding  mien,  that  we  all  stood  still 
as  if  awaiting  our  doom.  "  Gentlemen,"  she 
said,  "  why  this  silence  ?  Methought  this 
bustle  and  these  murmuring  voices  were 
indicative  of  something  terrible,  and  that 
within  this  noble  structure,  I  heard  oaths 
so  abominable,  that  the  very  foundation 
of  my  woman's  nature  trembled  in  my 
delicate  form.  But,  lo  !  how  soon  is  peace 
and  quiet.  How  majestically  sweet  and 
humble  is  man's  nature,  turned  by  the  pre- 
sence of  modest,  unassuming  woman.  I 
thank  my  stars,  gentlemen,  that  I  have 
been  the  innocent  means  of  assuaging  this 
raging  tumult.  These  missions  are  my 
errands.  I  am  to  redress  the  wrongs  of 
woman,  and  to  reform  the  uncultivated 
faults  of  man's  nature.  My  name  is  Miss 
Lucy  Tabiatha  Stimpkins." 

Thus  saying,  she  drew  from  her  pocket 
a  bundle  of  papers  and  distributed  them 
amongst  us,  giving  every  man  one.  Some 
said  it  was  Donna  del  Don  Quixote ;  but 
she  heeded  nothing  round  her,  and  went 
on  speaking,  "  You  will  perceive,  gentle- 
men," she  said,  "  I  am  just  starting  a  paper 
to  be  entitled  '  The  Journal  of  Progress,' 
and  I  am  to  be  the  editress.  I  have  long 
beheld  the  down-trodden  condition  of  my 
sex,  and  am  prepared  for  the  direst  slurs 
you  may  heap  upon  me  for  my  apparent 
boldness.  I  have  heard  lectures  by  our 
eminent  women  on  this  subject,  and  I  have 
resolved  to  devote  the  balance  of  my  days 
as  the  champion  and  adjuster  of  our 
wrongs.  You  see,  too,  like  the  knight  of 
the  Lion  heart,  as  some  one  of  you  has 
been  good  enough  to  compare  me,  I  pitch 
into  all  places  of  danger,  that  all  men  may 

*  From  Cobb's  speech  at  Mobile,  1860. 


learn  my  power — my  woman's  power.  But 
not  like  that  knight  do  I  invoke  the 
power  of  my  lover  ;  for  I  tell  you  frankly 
I  love  no  man,  having  been  thrice  married 
and  thrice  divorced  ;  but  I  speak  to  Him 
who  has  power  to  give  to  the  meek  and 
lowly  according  as  their  just  rights  de- 
mand. Though  prayer  is  nothing  without 
work.  I  have  put  my  shoulder  to  the 
wheel.  My  talents  are  my  arms  ;  my  sex 
is  my  shield ;  my  cause  is  my  Rosinante. 
By  this  prospectus,  gentlemen,  you  will 
see  that  I  am  the  champion  of  freedom  for 
all  men,  and  for  all  women  too.  You  are 
thankful  for  your  freedom ;  but  you  un- 
doubtedly remember  the  women  of  the 
days  of  Lycurgus,  how  they  bared  their 
breasts  and  demanded  the  liberty  of  their 
husbands  and  brothers,  or  death.  Then 
came  the  republic — the  first  republic.  You 
thank  those  women,  and  some  day  your 
children  and  your  children's  children  will 
thank  us.  Not,  sirs,  that  we  will  bare  our 
breasts  ;  "  (here  some  of  the  crowd  said, 
"  got  none  to  bare  ;  "  but  she  heeded  not, 
going  on,)  "  we  take  a  more  noble  method 
of  action,  and,  we  trust,  more  powerful 
than  the  sword.  My  object  will  be  in  the 
'  Journal  of  Progress '  to  show  you  that 
the  abolition  of  slavery  is  near  at  hand  ; 
to  show  you  that  if  it  be  done  by  war 
instead  of  peace,  you  have  everything 
to  lose,  and  nothing  to  gain  ;  to  show  you 
that  Elihu  Burritt,  the  learned  blacksmith, 
has  demonstrated  that  you  can  sell  your 
slaves  into  freedom  by  the  sale  of  western 
lands ;  to  show  you  that  woman  comes 
among  you  as  a  ministering  angel,  to  carry 
out  the  great  principles  of  human  liberty. 
Now,  gentlemen,  with  this  brief  statement 
on  my  part,  allow  me  to  ask,  will  you  sub- 
scribe for  the  Journal  ?  " 

We  all  laughed  loudly,  but  she  went  on, 
"  Three  columns  shall  be  devoted  to  news 
and  letters,  one  to  advertisements,  twelve 
to  temperance,  sixteen  to  the  abolition  of 
slavery,  and  twenty  to  woman's  rights." 
When  she  had  got  thus  far,  the  whole 
office  joined  in  roars  of  laughter ;  but  she 
was  still  as  calm  as  before.  As  soon  as 
quiet  was  restored,  Rhett  replied,  "  It  is 
strange,  madam,  that  every  person  North 
runs  on  these  same  topics — slavery,  tem- 
perance, and  woman's  rights.  As  soon  as 
a  woman  learns  to  read,  she  mounts  the 
rostrum  with  adjectives  numerous,  and 
topics  worn  threadbare,  not  to  elevate  or 
beautify  rude  man,  but  to  disgust  him  with 
the  presence  of  woman.  Miss  Lucy  Tabi- 
atha Stimpkins,  I  pity  you.  You  have 
harped  upon  these  subjects  until  you  are 
mad.  You  are  indeed  like  Don  Quixote. 
These  subjects  have  made  you  crazy,  and 


s 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;   OR, 


the  result  of  your  crazy-headed  lecturing 
(a  great  deal  of  exaggeration  mixed  with 
a  little  truth)  will  make  many,  very  many 
unhappy  persons,  especially  females.  If 
anything  makes  me  hate  the  North  more 
than  abolitionism  it  is  your  species  of  wo- 
men. We  have  none  such  amongst  us  in 
the  South." 

"  Exactly  so,"  said  she,  "  and  to  educate 
you  to  that  higher  sphere  of  life  have  I 
come  among  you.  I  come  to  bear  the 
brunt  of  your  reproaches,  and  I  am  happy 
that  my  modesty  and  delicacy  do  not 
quail  before  you.  I  belong  to  that  class — 
I  may  say  race — of  unselfish  beings  who 
can  view  slavery,  temperance,  and  woman's 
rights  from  a  holier  point  of  view.  Sir, 
you  pity  me,  allow  me  to  reciprocate  the 
sentiment  on  your  revered  head." 

This  was  so  easily  spoken  that  the  crowd 
set  up  another  laugh,  and  some  of  them 
clapped  their  hands.  Rhett  rallied,  al- 
though he  showed  an  inclination  to  turn 
away.  "  Pity  devil,"  said  he,  "  but,  since 
you  have  a  face  bold  enough  to  argue,  let 
me  tell  you  one  thing  as  a  principle  in 
philosophy — and  that  is,  that  so  much 
boldness  of  Northern  women  is  proof  posi- 
tive that  man's  nature  up  there  has  eked 
out  into  woman,  and  hence  the  dastardly, 
cowardly  character  of  all  the  members 
they  send  to  the  national  Congress.  It  is 
also  the  best  assurance  in  the  world  that 
in  a  few  years  the  South  will  be  entirely  the 
master  of  the  country." 

"  I  don't  argue  sir,"  said  she,  "  I  main- 
tain my  rights.  I  am  champion  for  others. 
You  may  fight  and  conquer  us,  you  may 
extinguish  an  army  of  women,  but,  sir, 
our  doctrines,  our  woman's  rights,  shall 
finally  vanquish  you.  Little  girls  shall  be 
taught  to  know  their  rights,  and,  coming 
to  majority,  they  will  maintain  them. 
They  will  make  men  sue,  oblige  them  to 
stand  trembling,  to  know  and  do  their 
pleasure.  I  look  far  ahead,  sir,  to  the  time 
when  woman's  voice  shall  ring  in  yonder 
Capitol,  and,  too,  when  the  black  man,  if 
he  has  talent,  shall  grace  the  Senate  with 
his  brilliant  tongue." 

Here  a  roar  of  laughter  set  in  again,  and 
the  poor  woman  turned  and  left,  protesting 
at  the  top  of  her  voice,  that  she  was  but  a 
poor  helpless  woman,  but  that  she  would 
meet  them  again  in  after  times,  with  such 
editorials  as  were  never  put  to  paper. 

As  soon  as  the  laugh  was  over,  Rhett, 
somewhat  excitedly,  shouted  out,  "  "Wel- 
come war,  thrice  welcome  bloody  war. 
Our  land  is  stagnant  with  peace.  Folly  is 
in  the  vision  of  Northern  millions,  and  wel- 
come, welcome  war  !  "  Cobb  rejoined, 
"  That  is  my  prayer  too.     This  couutry  is 


rotten,"  as  Hamlet  says,  "  it  is  rotten,  sir. 
Fanatics  grow  out  of  washtubs.  Dyspepsia 
is  called  a  medium,  a  seer  of  spirits ;  a  fool- 
ish tongue  is  loosest  hung,  and  random 
gab  is  set  down  for  sound  philosophy. 
My  heart  is  bent  on  war,  as  Shakespeare 
says,  '  for  bloody  war.'  I  want  to  see 
every  Southerner,  like  Coriolanus,  '  all 
smeared  with  smoke  and  blood,'  emerging 
from  the  putridity  of  these  vile  scenes  to 
bequeath  to  coming  generations  a  purer 
and  holier  stock  of  men.  These  are  my 
sentiments,  Mr.  Rhett,  give  us  bloody 
war."  He  then  stalked  about  the  tele- 
graph office  like  a  king,  and  said  he  had 
seen  that  day  the  Prince  of  Wales,  and  he 
thought  the  British  government  better 
than  ours.  "  For,"  he  said,  "  there  their 
snobs  and  bootblacks  have  their  ambition 
checked,  nipped  in  the  bud,  and  it  keeps 
them  in  their  proper  places. " 

But,  when  he  had  got  thus  far  he  was 
confronted  by  Prescott,  Scott  having  pre- 
viously gone  out.  "  Why,  how  is  that, 
Mr.  Cobb  ?  "  said  Prescott,  "  you  would 
not  quell  ambition  ?  " 

"  Yes  I  would,"  said  Cobb,  "  I  would 
wipe  it  out  of  human  nature." 

"  Then,"  said  Prescott,  "  I  am  happy 
that  you  did  not  construct  mankind.  Am- 
bition for  wealth,  knowledge,  ease,  or 
even  luxury,  has  lifted  the  common 
people  of  this  country  to  a  higher  point 
of  excellence  than  in  any  other." 

"  At  the  expense  of  people  of  higher 
birth,"  said  Cobb. 

Prescott  replied,  "  1  cannot  deal  with 
theory — only  facts.  But,  sir,  I  never  knew 
before  the  cause  of  your  own  deterioration 
in  moral  and  mental  acquirements." 

When  he  put  this  witticism  upon  Cobb, 
the  latter  said,  "  Do  you  say  a  nigger  is  as 
good  as  a  white  man  ?  Must  I  stand  and 
hear  a  man  blackguard  my  own  State  ? 
You  should  know,  sir,  that  we  have  such  a 
thing  down  South  as  chivalry,  and  it  loves 
liberty." 

"  Liberty  !  "  said  Prescott.  "  Oh  Liberty  ! 
how  much  men  ask  in  thy  poor  name. 
Why,  sir,  you  have  liberty.  You  make 
your  own  laws,  and  you  unmake  them  at 
your  pleasure.  Even  have  you  liberty  to 
enslave  others  and  to  use  them  at  your 
pleasure,  and  yet  you  plead  for  liberty. 
You  are  indeed  very  chivalrous.  You 
come  up  North  and  make  us  catch  your 
runaway  slaves  and  carry  them  to  you. 
You  killed  Northern  men  who  entered 
Kansas,  because  they  brought  no  slaves 
with  them  ;  you  killed  John  Brown,  and 
he  was  merely  the  foolish  champion  of 
the  rights  of  others.  Now,  sir,  for  you  are 
no  child,  you  know  that  there  is  a  crime 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN"  1860. 


9 


amongst  you,  and  it  is  this  that  makes 
you  sensitive." 

"  So  then,"  said  Cobb,  "  you  have  turned 
abolitionist  too.  Now  I  swear  that  of  all 
we  most  desire  down  South,  the  greatest 
wish  is  for  Abolition  blood.  We  have 
endeavored  to  abide  by  the  constitution 
of  our  land,  but  now  are  we  sworn  that 
whoever  meddles  with  our  slaves  shall  die." 

"  Why  sir,  look  you,"  said  Prescott, 
"  Abolitionists  are  so  plenty  you  might 
drown  yourself  in  their  blood." 

"  A  pretty  boast,"  said  Cobb,  "  and  one 
for  which  I'd  have  thee  whipped  in  Sa- 
vannah," and  Rhett  added,  "  or  in  Charles- 
ton either ;  "  but  Prescott  said  he  was 
glad  he  was  in  Washington,  for  such  con- 
duct as  theirs  was  the  result  of  the  ac- 
cursed institution  amongst  them. 

When  he  said  this  Rhett  and  Cobb 
came  near  him,  and  Rhett  said,  "  Gentle- 
men meet  as  gentlemen,  but  when  a  cur 
comes  in  their  company  he  must  be  kicked 
out,1'  and  therefore  some  of  the  bystanders 
did  kick  at  Prescott,  but  the  crowd  cried 
"  Shame,"  for  Prescott  was  a  small  man 
with  a  pleasant  face.  When  he  had  with- 
drawn a  pace,  he  added,  "  Behold  this 
blood;"  for  in  the  scuffle  some  one  had 
touched  him  on  the  nose,  and  it  bled  a 
little.  "  These  gentle  drops  do  rush  to 
the  view  of  modern  chivalry  appalled,  and 
registering  each  a  score  of  Southern  wid- 
ows, as  the  debt  to  come  of  your  weighty 
arguments  ;  and  you,  sir  Cobb,  for  a  little, 
I  would  punch  the  pith  out  of  you."  And 
then  he  seized  him  by  the  shoulder  and 
shook  him  until  Cobb  was  nearly  fright- 
ened out  of  his  wits.  The  crowd  however 
interrupted  at  this  instant  by  crying, 
"  Shame !  shame !  can  we  not  meet  as 
gentlemen  without  these  eternal  political 
rows  ?  "  We  were  also  greeted  at  this 
time  with  news  from  Chicago,  and  in  an 
instant,  were  as  silent  as  a  house  of  mourn- 
ing. The  operator  read  aloud,  "  Abraham 
Lincoln  of  Illinois  unanimously  nomi- 
nated." This  was  cold  water  on  the 
whole  assemblage  of  us.  The  Southern 
men  were  dumb  with  astonishment. 
Rhett's  eyes  were  set  in  their  sockets. 
Davis  hung  his  head  in  silent  wonder. 
Yancey — straight-haired  Yancey,  was  more 
like  a  weather-beaten  statae  than  a  living 
man.  Cobb  tossed  his  hands  aloft,  and, 
trembling  in  every  nerve,  his  bloodshot 
eyes  were  riveted  upward.  The  die  was 
cast.  The  great  republic  had  thrown  its 
challenge  to  the  world  to  stand  or  fall  for 
human  rights.  Not  Northern  rights,  nor 
Southern  rights,  but  human  rights,  and, 
sectional  be  the  slur,  still  the  issue  was. 
begun. 


A  fearful  thing,  oh,  my  countrymen  !  to 
oppose  those  who  had  always  wielded  the 
power  and  who  held  ever  their  awful 
threat  against  a  Northern  President  on 
freedom's  platform.  The  North  had  now 
but  one  object  in  view ;  that  hereafter 
there  should  be  no  more  slave  territory 
admitted  into  the  Union,  and  the  South 
had  at  stake  her  ordinary  interest.  The 
North  stood  for  principle  merely.  These 
ideas  all  ran  through  every  man's  mind 
quicker  than  they  can  be  spoken.  Every 
one  knew  what  the  others  were  thinking 
in  this  assemblage.  Rhett  first  broke  the 
silence,  without  sign  or  gesture ;  for  he 
stood  there  as  frozen  as  the  poles,  and  as 
pallid. 

"  Abraham  Lincoln  !  "  "  The  freedom 
of  the  Territories  !  "  Again  all  was  silent 
for  a  moment,  and  then  he  went  on : 
"  Wealth  and  refinement,  against  the 
plebeians.  Which  is  most  powerful,  the 
North  or  the  South  ?  In  England,  wealth 
rules ;  in  France,  monkeys ;  beggars,  in 
Italy  ;  ambition  with  a  rag  on  its  back  is 
king  of  Germany,  Spain,  and  Ireland,  and 
now,  do  their  descendants  ascend  over  us. 
The  descendants  of  these  emigrants,  these 
plebeians,  have  overpopulated  the  North, 
and  they  have  raised  their  heads  to 
demand  that  we  of  the  South  shall  be 
subservient  to  them.  Indeed,  then  the 
North  is  our  enemy.  I  know  this  Lin- 
coln, this  boatman,  this  rail-splitter,  this 
hewer  of  wood  and  carrier  of  water.  He 
is  to  hold  the  poniard  to  our  hearts  and 
say,  '  your  slaves  or  your  life.'  We  must 
knuckle  to  him.  We  must  sit  and  see 
these  vermin  undermine  our  houses,  be- 
cause we  have  comfortable  beds.  No,  no, 
by  heavens  !  "  and  then  he  moved  around. 
"  In  God's  name  strike  out ;  put  all  your 
wits  to  work,  in  secret,  in  public,  any- 
where, everywhere,  meet,  combine  the 
elements  of  your  power.  Live  in  constant 
effort.  Let  slumbering  fires  within  your 
breasts  flame  up.  Strike  out !  We  must, 
we  will  accomplish  it !  We  struck  on  the 
tariff,  but  that  gave  way.  We  struck  on 
native  Americanism,  that  lost.  It  might 
have  given  us  the  balance  of  power  for  a 
short  period.  Then  came  Mason  and 
Dixon's  line;  then  Douglass  and  the 
Missouri  Compromise.  But  all,  all  have 
failed.  We  have  no  more  allegiance  to 
the  Union,  and  must  secede.  We  will  go 
by  ourselves.  Peaceably  if  we  can  :  forci- 
bly if  we  must."  He  then  said  Lincoln 
was  an  unknown  man,  and  consequently, 
that  his  platform  was  his  strength  ;  that 
the  whole  fight  would  now  turn  on  the 
platform  of  the  freedom  of  the  Territories, 
but  not  on  the  man.      "  This,"  said  he, 


10 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


"  makes  his  election  sure.  This  is  the 
whole  reason  the  Republicans  have  taken 
an  unknown  man,  aud  it  is  this  will  be 
the  death  of  us."  He  then  said,  "  Davis, 
what  shall  we  do  ?  " 

Davis  said,  "  We  shall  lose  this  election, 
God  knows  we  shall  lose  it ; "  and  the 
tears  started  to  his  eyes,  and  he  added, 
"  Even  the  powers  we  now  wield  may  be 
turned  against  us." 

Rhett  replied,  "  That  power  must  be 
scattered  to  the  winds  beforehand,"  aud 
Davis  said  "  That  might  be." 

Now,  when  they  had  said  thus  much, 
they  looked  at  each  other  for  a  moment, 
as  if  there  was  a  reflection  going  on  in 
each  other's  mind.  Then  Yancey  clenched 
his  fist  and  said,  "  If  they  come  against 
us  " — (I  thought  he  meant  Abolitionists  ; 
for  he  stopped  there,  and  seemed  to  make 
oath  toward  the  heavens) — "  South  Caro- 
lina will  secede  as  sure  as  yonder  sun  goes 
down,"  said  Rhett.  Cobb  said,  "  So  shall 
Georgia,"  making  a  threat,  and  breathing 
an  oath.  "  Mississippi  will,  I  am  sure,"  said 
Davis ;  and  then  Yancey  and  Floyd  both 
made  oath  that  the  South  would  secede. 

"Now,  then,"  said  Rhett,  "must  we 
know  the  cue  of  Scott  and  James  Bu- 
chanan. Davis  and  Cobb,  will  you  go 
with  me  ? "  And  then  they  withdrew  a 
pace,  and  the  latter  remarked  with  a  low 
voice  to  Davis  and  Cobb,  "  This  will  be  a 
dangerous  business  for  us.  We  must  send 
men  to  see  them  at  once,  and  inform  them 
of  this  nomination.  Hark  you  !  I  know  a 
man,  the  most  ingenious,  sensible  kind  of 
fool  that  ever  lived.  He  is  so  inquisitive, 
that  he  can  ascertain  every  politician's 
secret  thoughts,  and  they  all  the  while 
heeding  little  what  he  says,  and  not 
caring.  This  man  we  will*  send  to  all 
prominent  men,  and  ascertain  what  part 
they  will  play — particularly,  Scott  and 
Buchanan.  You  know  him.  I  mean 
Judge  Francis  Underhill,  of  Loudon 
Heights,"  and  they  all  smiled  and  took 
their  departure. 

Floyd  then  took  Thompson's  arm,  and 
whispered  to  him,  "  Our  deadliest  enemy 
lies  in  the  nation's  offices,  and  it  should 
be  scattered.  I  mean  the  specie,  the  Gov- 
ernment securities,  the  national  treasury, 
sub-treasury,  customs,  and  post-office 
funds."  And  then  Thompson  said,  "  That 
is  a  great  power.  Let  us  lay  our  heads 
together  in  this  matter,"  and  they  also 
departed.* 

*  The  danger  to  the  national  treasury  was  antici- 
pated by  the'  New  York  Tribune  and  Cincinnati 
Gazette,  and  the  scheme  concocted  and  here  alluded 
to  was  published  prior  to  its  transpiring,  and  yet  no 
action  was  taken  by  the  Government  to  prevent  it. 


During  this  affair,  the  strangest  of  all 
was  that  mysterious  tall  woman,  who  came 
in  silk  and  diamonds,  with  the  long-faced 
Italian  Orsini.  If  you  will  be  kind  enough 
to  recollect  the  circumstances  of  the  Na- 
tional Hotel  poisoning,  nearly  four  years 
ago,  when  James  Buchanan  nearly  lost  his 
life,  you  will  remember  that  at  that  time 
there  were  three  foreigners  in  the  Hotel. 
One  of  them  died,  leaving  a  widow — a 
mysterious  person  of  great  fashion,  and 
that  person  was  Madame  Ponchard.  She 
was  said  to  own  a  large  plantation  some- 
where ;  but  she  so  seldom  spoke  to  any 
one,  that  no  one  seemed  to  discover  who 
or  what  she  was.  She  was  so  constantly 
in  the  society  of  Floyd,  Thompson,  and 
Davis,  and  anon  of  Governor  Wise's  son, 
and  she  seemed  so  greedily  to  devour  the 
words  of  Floyd  and  Davis.  Many  rich 
men  had  made  advances  to  her  on  account 
of  her  supposed  riches,  but  had  all  been 
defeated.  She  had  this  day  had  an  inter- 
view with  the  Prince  of  Wales,  and  now, 
during  the  scenes  in  the  telegraph  office, 
she  had  steadily  watched  all  that  was 
said — many  of  them  looking  at  her  to  see 
if  she  seemed  to  make  note  of  it,  and 
which  this  dejjonent  holds  as  evidence 
that  she  and  Orsini  had  some  secret  con- 
nection with  the  origin  of  the  great  rebel- 
lion. 

Summing  these  affairs  together — the 
things  which  I  had  seen,  and  the  things 
which  I  had  long  known  to  be  talked  of, 
I  set  myself  about  to  look  after  the  begin- 
ning of  what  actually  did  result  in  one  of 
the  greatest  wars  that  ever  occurred.  Not 
to  be  thwarted,  however,  in  my  endeavors 
to  search  its  most  intricate  purpose,  I 
resolved  to  inform  the  different  members 
of  our  private  court  of  the  points  I  had 
gained,  and  of  the  end  I  had  in  view.  My 
object  was,  first,  to  acquaint  the  Judge  of 
the  determination  of  Rhett,  Davis  and 
Cobb  to  use  him  as  their  tool  in  the  man- 
agement of  Scott  and  Buchanan.  I  had 
also  in  view  the  employment  of  Miss  Lucy 
Tabiatha  Stimpkins  as  an  agent  to  expose 
and  frustrate,  what  I  deemed  the  villainous 
purpose  of  these  would-be  rebels.  I  also 
mistrusted  the  deep  conniving  and  secret 
power  of  Madame  Ponchard.  She  was  so 
mysterious  and  deep ;  so  much  watched 
by  all  parties,  familiar  with  Washington 
life,  yet,  so  little  was  known  of  her,  that 
every  person  who  knew  her  seemed  to 
harbor  a  great  suspicion  of  her. 

With  this  important  disclosure,  I  now 
close  the  first  chapter  of  this  important 
history,  relying  on  you  to  proceed  with 
the  next  for  further  information. 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


11 


CHAPTER    II 


When  I  had  the  foregoing  history  set 
down,  I  told  Jenkins  that  he  must  not 
forget  one  of  the  most  important  rules  of 
all  great  authors,  which  was  that  the  lead- 
ing characters  must  be  introduced  in  the 
first  chapter.  But  he  replied  by  saying 
that  this  book  would  be  unlike  any  other 
ever  written,  and  not  copied  after  any- 
thing extant. 

"  In  the  present  age,"  he  said,  "  most  of 
us  follow  up  a  single  narrative,  and  run  it 
to  the  end ;  like  a  colonel  in  a  battle  man- 
aging a  single  regiment.  But  we  shall  do 
like  great  commanders,  who  divide  their 
army  into  many  parts,  all  intent  on  a  gen- 
eral end,  managing  them  in  such  harmony 
that  the  lesser  parts  shall  add  to  the  glory 
of  the  important  whole."  I  told  him  that 
we  would  get  too  much  egotism  in  the 
book,  if  we  kept  on  at  this  rate.  But  he 
said  "  That  also  must  be  so  to  be  in  the 
fashion.  Let  us  come  to  the  work,"  and 
he  immediately  uttered  these  very  words, 
to  wit : 

"  I  went,  according  to  agreement  to- 
day, to  have  another  court-sitting  at  our 
Temple ;  for  I  was  anxious  to  tell  the 
Judge  what  Rhett,  Davis  and  Cobb  had 
proposed  of  him  in  the  telegraph  office. 
After  waiting  an  unusual  length  of  time, 
and  no  one  else  coming,  I  ventured  to  ask 
some  good  folks  near  by  if  they  had  seen 
Judge  Francis  Underhill,  of  Loudon 
Heights  ?  And  they  answered  no,  that 
they  had  not  seen  him  since  yesterday 
morning.  I  concluded  then  that  some- 
thing of  a  serious  nature  must  have  tran- 
spired, and  I  immediately  set  out  for  the 
Jackson  House,  where  he  resided.  When 
I  arrived  near,  I  heard  him  in  the  midst 
of  a  speech  which  he  was  discharging  in 
the  office  to  a  promiscuous  dozen  of  idlers. 
He  is  an  elderly  man,  and  very  stout  in 
the  waist,  always  wearing  rich  but  thread- 
bare clothes.  His  low-topped  shoes  are 
always  neat,  showing  fine  silk  stockings. 
He  always  takes  off  his  soft  hat  when 
talking,  and  bows  through  every  sentence 
he  speaks.  His  politeness  gains  him 
hearers,  and  his  egotism  and  general  in- 
formation make  his  superiors,  even,  listen 
to  him  with  respect.  He  had  been  a  Whig 
in  the  days  of  Harrison,  and  he  still 
adhered    to  his  doctrines,  although    the 


party  was  extinct.  When  I  came  up,  he 
nodded  to  me,  and  I  asked  him  why  he 
had  not  come  to  the  Temple  ?  Said  he, 
"Some  persons  of  importance  are  to 
arrive  soon,  and  I  have  been  requested  to 
remain ;  "  but  he  refused  to  tell  me  who 
they  were,  and  he  bade  me  wait.  He  then 
resumed  his  speech,  which  was  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  It  is  a  fault  in  this  country,  as  it  is  in 
others,  that  parents  study  more  how  to 
make  rich  matches  for  their  children,  than 
to  teach  them  how  to  earn  riches  for  them- 
selves. I  remember  when  I  discussed  this 
matter  with  Daniel  Webster,  he  told  me 
that  the  fault  of  all  governments  was,  that 
they  governed  too  much  or  too  little.  All 
the  avenues  should  be  thrown  open  to  the 
people,  and  such  branches  of  trade  as  are 
easily  injured  by  foreign  importation, 
should  be  protected  by  high  duties  on 
imports.  This  would  give  all  young  men 
and  women  useful  enmployment.  The 
factories  would  give  them  homes,  and 
keep  them  at  home,  and  the  present 
migration  would  be  knocked  in  the  head. 
I  do  not  mean  to  injure  your  hotel,  sir, 
but  while  this  country  boasts  of  having  so 
many  and  so  fine  hotels,  and  such  a  vast 
patronage  to  them  all,  it  also  boasts  that 
such  patrons  are  a  host  of  idlers,  and 
worthless  beings,  travelling  from  place  to 
place  to  find  profitable  business.  If  we 
made  half  the  goods  we  consume,  these 
quack  lawyers,  and  quack  doctors,  poli- 
ticians, gamblers,  clerks  and  idlers  might 
have  something  decent  to  do,  and  it 
would  open  the  road  too  for  woman's 
services.  Women,  instead  of  being  bar- 
tered off  with  their  fits  and  infirmities  to 
wealthy  old  bachelors,  or  instead  of  auc- 
tioneering themselves  off  in  public 
speeches,  would  find  employment  in  which 
they  could  be  proud,  independent,  and 
happy.  But  all  this  physical  and  moral 
force  is  thrown  to  waste  by  lack  of  a 
wholesome  tariff.  The  money  of  the  coun- 
try is  sent  abroad  for  goods,  and  our 
prodigal  sons  and  daughters  (the  Judge 
is  an  old  bachelor),  living  at  the  top  of  the 
fashion,  fly  from  place  to  place,  endeavor- 
ing to  better  themselves  by  marriages  or 
strange  adventures." 

Here  the  crowd  laughed  so  violently, 


12 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


that  he  was  in  a  measure  interrupted,  but 
he  retorted : 

"  I  know  it  all.  It  is  all  very  well.  If 
I  have  no  sons  or  daughters,  I  might 
have  had,  or  may  have  yet.  For  twenty 
years  I  have  been  chased  by  the  women. 
Anxious  mammas  have  come  to  me  with 
no  more  concern  for  the  welfare  of  their 
darling  daughters,  than  I  value  the  toss 
of  a  dice  box,  and  they  have  told  me  how 
ardently  their  dear  children  admired  every- 
thing I  said  or  did.  But  no,  as  I  said  to 
Henry  Clay,  these  things  show  that  there 
is  something  wrong  in  this  country.  My 
opinion  is  that  these  hosts  of  idlers  can 
never  be  exterminated  but  by  a  huge  tariff 
or  a  terrible  war." 

The  Judge  then  turned  to  me  and  asked 
if  that  was  not  the  truth  ?  I  told  him 
yes,  and  urged  him  once  more  to  come  to 
the  Temple ;  but  the  clerk  called  out, 
"  No,  not  yet,  for  here  they  come,"  and 
just  then  some  new  arrivals  came  to  the 
hotel,  though  what  the  importance  of  it 
was,  I  yet  knew  not.  There  came  in  a  car- 
riage, an  elderly-like  man  and  woman,  ac- 
companied by  a  daughter — a  fairylike 
belle  of  seventeen — who  dismounted  and 
entered  the  place.  The  gentleman  regis- 
tered his  name  as  Mr.  Edge,  wife,  and 
daughter  Victoria.  The  clerk  distributed 
them  to  their  rooms,  and  we  were  left  to 
reflect  upon  the  apparent  richness  of  their 
style,  combined  with  their  seeming  awk- 
wardness. 

Some  person  present  suggested  that  in- 
asmuch as  the  Prince  of  Wales  was  in 
"Washington,  this  Victoria  might  be  some 
relation.  The  Judge  and  I  moved  up  to 
the  desk,  and  the  clerk  said  to  the  Judge, 
"  Ah,  Judge  !  we  have  somebody  at  last 
you  do  not  know,  and  is  no  relation  of 
yours." 

The  Judge  always  pretended  to  know 
all  great  persons,  or,  that  they  were  distant 
relations  ;  and  this  clerk  knew  his  weak- 
ness. 

"  I  am  not  sure  of  that,"  said  the  Judge. 

"  Then  why  are  you  puzzled  at  the 
name  ?  "  said  the  clerk. 

"  Because  it  is  a  strange  name.  It  seems 
to  me,  however,  I  knew  some  people  by 
the  name  of  Edge.  Where  are  they  from  ? " 

"  From  Ohio,"  said  the  clerk. 

"  Possibly  I  may  know  them,"  remarked 
the  Judge.     "  Be  not  too  sure." 

"  Indeed  !  have  you  begun  already  ?  " 
said  the  clerk ;  and  the  Judge  replied, 
"  111  fortune  on  your  tavern,  that  I  have 
supported  for  the  last  twenty  years  by  a 
constant  stream  of  fast  marriages,  if  ere 
another  day  you  do  not  tell  this  Edge 
family  that  I  am  king  of  Washington." 


"  And  may,  your  stars  forgive  you," 
said  the  clerk,  "  for  the  big  ones  you  have 
made  me  tell  in  order  to  bring  couples 
together.  Not  a  month  since,  you  blew 
riches  into  the  ears  of  a  couple  that  could 
not  pay  their  washerwoman.  They  really 
thought  each  had  a  fortune,  until  they 
were  married.  This  you  did,  on  a  wager 
of  a  bottle  of  Bourbon." 

"  No  matter,"  said  the  Judge,  "  I  will 
lay  the  corn  that  this  Edge  has  brought 
his  daughter  here  to  marry  her  off,  and, 
what  is  more,  we  can  have  her  at  the 
hymenial  halter  in  a  month." 

He  had  no  sooner  said  this,  than,  on 
looking  around,  he  saw  entering  the  room 
the  business  man,  Mr.  Edge.  The  porters 
were  carrying  in  his  boxes. 

"  Now  you  shall  see,"  said  the  Judge, 
"  how  I  shall  quiz  this  old  man.  Stand 
there  boys.  Be  careful  with  those  trunks. 
You  think  a  man's  boxes  are  made  for 
battle,  and  you  lam  them  and  jam  them 
until  every  nail  comes  out.  It  puts  me  in 
mind  of  a  trip  I  took  to  Ohio  several  years 
ago,  in  company  with  Daniel  Webster." 

"  Indeed  !  "  said  Mr.  Edge.  "  Why,  that 
is  my  native  State." 

"  Ah  !  "  said  the  Judge.  "  Then  I  sup- 
pose you  are  acquainted  with  my  excellent 
friend,  Tom  Corwin." 

"  I  have  not  that  honor,"  said  Edge. 

"  I  used  to  know  some  of  the  Edges  in 
Ohio,"  said  the  Judge.  "  They  were 
literary  people." 

"  Then,"  said  Edge,  "  They  were  not 
my  relations.  I  am  only  a  railroad  builder. 
But,  if  I  am  not  too  impertinent,  what  is 
your  name  ? " 

"  Francis  Underbill,  sir.  I  am  called 
Judge  of  Loudon  Heights." 

When  he  said  this,  he  stretched  himself 
to  his  most  dignified  length. 

Edge  looked  at  him  with  astonishment, 
first,  because  he  seemed  so  familiar,  and 
next,  because  he  had  so  accidentally  fallen 
into  the  society  of  a  man  of  such  seeming 
high  rank  ;  for  he  deemed  him  at  least  in 
possession  of  next  to  the  highest  office  our 
country  had  to  give. 

"  Excuse  me,  sir,"  said  Edge,  "  I  would 
not  have  been  so  familiar,  only  that  I  have 
been  all  my  life  with  plain,  blunt  men.  I 
was,  sir,  like  Ben.  Franklin,  brought  up  a 
tallow  chandler  ;  but  I  deserted  my  busi- 
ness. I  have  saved  up  a  little,  and  now  I 
seek  to  see  and  to  know  the  world." 

"  I  admire  your  frankness,  sir,"  said  the 
Judge.  "  I  shall  be  most  happy,  at  all 
times,  to  give  you  the  benefit  of  my  most 
distinguished  acquaintanceship.  Also,  if 
you  please,  you  may  say  to  your  lady  and 
daughter  that  my  carriage  is  at  their  ser- 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


13 


vice,  and  that  I  should  be  extremely  happy 
to  introduce  them  into  the  highest  circles 
of  society." 

As  he  was  going  on  in  this  strain,  the 
three  important  persons,  Rhett,  Cobb,  and 
Davis,  came  in  and  called  the  Judge,  who 
joined  them.  They  all  went  out  to  the 
sidewalk,  where  the  three  entered  into 
their  entreaty  to  the  Judge  to  call  upon 
Scott  and  Buchanan,  which  we  will  refer 
to  in  a  moment.  It  was,  however,  a  great 
mortification  to  me  ;  for  I  had  determined 
to  acquaint  the  Judge  with  the  designs  of 
Rhett,  Davis  and  Cobb,  before  they  came 
together.  Though  for  the  present  let  us 
turn  to  the  interior  of  the  house. 

The  clerk  immediately  told  Mr.  Edge 
who  the  trio  were,  and  Mr.  Edge  was  more 
pleased  than  ever  to  think  that  he  had 
already  made  the  acquaintance  of  a  man 
who  was  counsellor  and  adviser  for  the 
heads  of  the  nation.  He  was  yet  busy 
with  his  baggage  when  the  clerk  winked 
to  me.  "  Entre  nous  "  said  he,  "  he  has 
brought  his  daughter  here  to  marry  her 
off.  The  Judge  knows  hundreds  of  young 
bloods,  and  we  must  fix  this  thing  up. 
We  will  have  a  marriage  in  high  life,  good 
times,  and  plenty  of  champagne." 

But  I  checked  him  for  making  so  light 
of  such  matters,  and  withdrew  a  pace,  and 
sat  down  to  await  the  Judge's  return ; 
for,  indeed,  we  were  interrupted  by  the 
approach  of  Mr.  Edge,  who  inquired  what 
kind  of  a  man  the  Judge  was. 

The  clerk  pointed  out  the  Judge  as  one 
of  the  United  States  Judges,  one  of  the 
greatest  men  in  America — told  Edge,  in 
fact,  that  since  the  days  of  Jackson,  no 
man  else  held  so  great  a  sway  over  the 
affairs  of  the  Government.  He  had  but  to 
say  this  or  that  must  be  done,  and  the 
nation's  treasury  was  at  his  service.  The 
clerk  even  went  so  far  in  his  enthusiasm 
in  relating  things  of  this  worthless  old 
judge,  as  to  say  that  the  nation's  purse 
had  got  to  be  almost  wholly  his  own. 
"  Why,  sir,"  said  he  to  Mr.  Edge,  "  The 
judge  once  said  he  must  have  some  celes- 
tial curiosities  for  the  national  museum, 
and  the  next  day  a  vessel  sailed  for  China. 
He  has,  indeed,  only  to  say  Build  me  a 
post  route  to  Oregon,  or  a  railroad  to  New 
Orleans,  and  it  is  lobbied  right  through 
both  houses  of  Congress,  and  the  Presi- 
dent signs  the  bill  as  a  matter  of  course. 
Only  get  the  Judge's  friendship,  Mr.  Edge, 
and  Washington  is  all  yours." 

Edge  rejoined  that  he  thought  that  the 
Judge  was  no  ordinary  man,  and  that  he 
would  be  quite  happy  to  have  his  wife 
and  daughter  get  acquainted  with  so 
prominent  a  person. 


The  clerk  told  him  the  Judge  was  the 
most  easily  approached  of  any  man  in  the 
world,  and  also  that  he  knew  everybody 
in  Washington  that  was  of  any  import- 
ance, which  was,  in  fact,  nearly  true, 
though  it  was  equally  true  that  the  Judge 
was  tolerated  in  good  society,  mostly  on 
account  of  his  eccentricities  and  monstrous 
pretensions. 

Edge  was  most  pleased,  however,  to 
learn  that  he  had  found  a  man  who  could 
command  money.  He  was  himself  a  spec- 
ulator. He  liked  to  sell  stocks ;  to  get 
contracts  put  through  ;  was  interested  in 
jobs  that  needed  helping  through  Con- 
gress. He  had  himself  amassed  a  great 
fortune  by  this  kind  of  speculation,  begin- 
ning with  one  single  thousand  dollars — 
and  this  thousand  too,  it  was  said,  he 
came  into  possession  of  improperly.  His 
father  had  placed  it  in  his  hands  for  safe 
keeping ;  but  the  son  never  returned  it. 
The  old  man  failed,  and  became  grieved 
and  the  conduct  of  his  son,  endeavored 
to  better  his  remaining  days  by  life  in 
California,  but  died  on  the  way,  thus  giv- 
ing the  son  full  possession  of  the  thousand 
dollars.  This  money  the  son  had  invested 
in  building  a  railroad  bridge  on  the 
Miami.  He  cheated  the  contractors  in  the 
grade  of  the  bridge,  and  doubled  his 
money.  He  took  another  job  on  another 
road  ;  again  took  advantage  of  the  con- 
tractors ;  bribed  the  inspectors,  and 
doubled  his  money.  By  this  kind  of  spec- 
ulation, he  had  amassed  a  large  fortune, 
until,  as  he  said,  he  had  now  set  out  to 
see  and  to  know  the  world. 

His  wife  had  coaxed  him  away  to  Wash- 
ington, for  the  benefit  of  Victoria,  their 
daughter.  The  mother  was  one  of  that 
good  kind  of  women  who  are  always 
called  an  excellent  wife  and  mother  for  a 
common  person.  She  was  a  farmer's 
daughter,  and  had  been  taught  to  read 
and  write  ;  had  worked  hard  to  help  save 
her  husband's  money.  For  the  past  few 
years,  she  had  been  relieved  from  manual 
labor,  and  took  to  teasing  poor  dress- 
makers and  milliners,  and  trying  to  learn 
to  get  into  a  carriage  gracefully,  instead 
of  climbing  in  as  she  would  into  a  market 
wagon.  These  things  puzzled  her  wits  so 
much  that  she  resolved  that  her  daughter 
Victoria  should  be  better  trained  in  early 
days.  Vickey  had  been  sent  to  school  in 
Philadelphia,  had  acquired  her  education, 
and  already  acted  as  tutor  of  the  fashions 
to  her  mother. 

"  Mother,"  she  would  say,  "  you  always 
begin  your  letters  in  that  way — now  I 
take  my  pen  in  hand,  et  cetera.  Do  you 
know  it  was  wrong?     Why,  I  forgot,  I 


14 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


should  not  have  called  you  mother— I 
should  have  said  ma !  Now  let  me  see, 
where  was  I  ?  Oh  !  Dear  ma,  we  always 
begin  at  the  back  of  a  letter  in  fashionable 
society."  Ilere  she  would  lisp  a  little, 
drop  her  chin,  look  interesting  at  her 
mother,  and  smile.  She  said  a  great  many 
things  about  fashionable  society,  such  as 
she  had  learned  in  the  Philadelphia  board- 
ing school,  always  beginning  and  ending 
the  sentence  with  "  that  is  the  way  it  is  in 
Philadelphia."  She  was.  indeed,  as  sure 
of  how  things  were  done  in  Philadelphia, 
as  was  the  New  England  clergyman,  who 
went  to  Paris  several  years  ago,  of  the 
fashions  and  wickedness  of  the  French 
nation.  He  only  staid  one  night  in  Paris, 
and,  in  the  morning,  on  looking  outy  he 
saw  a  red  petticoat  hanging  near  his 
window.  This  was  enough  for  him.  He 
construed  it  into  some  improper  banter 
from  a  French  woman,  and  thereupon  left 
the  country  in  disgust.  On  his  return 
home,  he  wrote  an  account  of  French  high 
life  and  immorality,  condensed  into  two 
royal  octavo  volumes.  People  who  have 
not  been  in  France,  say  it  was  good.  So 
did  Mrs.  Edge  say  of  her  daughter's  stories 
about  fashionable  high  life,  and  she  had 
now  made  Victoria  chief  of  affairs  in  the 
present  adventure  into  high  life  in  Wash- 
ington. Vickey  was  so  elated  therewith, 
that  she  was  continually  showing  her 
mother  how  things  should  be  said  and 
done. 

"  Do  you  see,  ma,"  she  said,  as  soon  as 
they  had  entered  their  private  parlor, 
"  we  are  at  once  looked  upon  as  persons 
of  mark,"  and  she  drew  her  mother  to  the 
window.  They  looked  out,  and  beheld 
on  the  sidewalk  Rhett,  Davis,  Cobb,  and 
Judge  Francis  Underbill.  The  latter  at 
that  instant  happened  to  be  looking  up- 
ward, less  heedful  of  the  rebellion  than  of 
the  pretty  belle  gazing  out  of  the  window. 
Just  as  Mrs.  Edge  looked  out,  Judge 
Francis  dropped  his  glasses  and  smiled. 
Vickey  playfully  kissed  her  hand  to  him 
and  ran  away. 

"Why,  my  child,"  said  Mrs.  Edge, 
•'  how  can  you  do  so  to  a  stranger  ?  " 

"  Pshaw,"  said  Vickey,  "  that  is  the 
height  of  fashion — at  least  in  Philadel- 
phia." 

Her  mother  was  about  to  give  her  a 
severe  reprimand,  but  just  then  the  clerk 
appeared  at  the  door  to  know  if  their 
rooms  were  satisfactory,  to  which  they 
replied  in  the  affirmative.  The  clerk  then 
also  approached  the  window,  showing 
them  the  Capitol,  the  White  House,  and 
the  Potomac,  adding,  "  Here  is  Pennsyl- 
vania Avenue,  where  you  can  behold  all 


the  costly  fashions,  and  all  the  great 
people  of  all  parts  of  the  civilized  world." 
He  paused  a  moment,  and  again  con- 
tinued, "  Well  now,  even  here,  here  is 
Judge  Francis  Underhill  of  Loudon 
Heights,"  and  they  all  looked  down  to 
where  the  four  were  standing  below  talk- 
ing. "  That  man,"  continued  the  clerk, 
"  that  old  gentleman  with  the  silver  spec- 
tacles, is  Judge  Francis  Underhill;  one 
of  the  most  remarkable  men  of  any  age. 
He  is  the  boast  of  this  country.  He  is  a 
man  of  literature,  science,  fashion,  and 
integrity,  he  is  all  that  constitutes  great- 
ness." 

"  There  mother,"  said  Vickey,  "  you 
thought  he  was  just  some  common  person ; 
but  I  know  what  it  is  to  see  people  of 
rank." 

"  Indeed  that  is  so,"  said  the  clerk. 

"  If  the  Judge  were  to  have  a  procession 
to-day,  it  would  be  far  more  proper  than 
a  procession  for  the  Prince  of  Wales;  he 
is  so  free,  so  jolly,  and  yet  so  grand.  His 
wealth  too  cannot  be  computed." 

The  ladies  both  expressed  a  desire  to 
become  acquainted  with  so  important  a 
person.  Being  informed  that  they  could 
by  passing  their  leisure  moments  in  the 
general  parlor,  they  both  expressed  a  full 
determination  to  do  so.  Alter  some  tri- 
fling conversation  about  the  Prince  of 
Wales,  the  clerk  departed,  having  pre-* 
cautioned  them  as  to  the  style  and  charac- 
ter of  Judge  Francis  Underhill ;  that  it 
was  through  him  they  would  reach  the 
avenues  to  the  good  society  of  Washing- 
ton. He  also  told  them  that  the  Judge 
was  very  eccentric  in  his  style ;  that  he 
used  very  highfalutin  language  on  the 
most  trivial  occasions ;  but  that  they  were 
to  take  no  notice  of  it,  and  assume  the 
same  style  towards  him  as  much  as  possi- 
ble. 

"  Trust  that  to  me,"  said  Vickey.  "  We 
did  that  to  perfection  in  the  Philadelphia 
boarding  school.  We  girls  compared  our- 
selves to  flowers,  stars,  rainbows,  angels, 
and  congratulated  each  other  on  our  non- 
sense, in  quotations  that  were  never  heard 
of." 

"  Why,  my  dear  child,"  said  Mrs.  Edge, 
"  how  did  you  learn  that  stuff?  " 

"  Learn  it,  mother  !  "  said  Vickey  ;  "  we 
made  it  in  imitation  of  those  beautiful 
novels  I  told  you  of.  It  is  so  easy.  A 
tear  in  the  eye  is  a  diamond  ;  a  crony  is 
a  satellite ;  a  love  tickle,  is  an  electric 
thrill ;  a  plain  compliment  is  an  adaman- 
tine pavement  whereon  our  duller  sense 
trips  in  fear  and  trembling  up  to  the 
genius  of  the  immortal  speaker ;  and  then 
we  sigh — thus — our  bosoms  heaving  like  a 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN    1860. 


15 


cataract,  or  the  billows  of  the  ocean.  At 
least,  that  is  the  way  we  did  in  Philadel- 
phia." 

"  Well,  now,  Vickey,"  said  her  mother. 
"  I  never  heard  you  speak  so  eloquent, 
and  I  never  until  now  felt  so  sure  you 
could  maintain  the  due  distortion  of  our 
family." 

"  Discretion  you  mean,  mother ;  but,  you 
know,  I  always  told  you  I  never  would  be 
myself  until  I  got  into  high  society." 

And  then  she  laughed,  as  the  clerk  said, 
a  mysterious  laughter,  and  he  further 
added,  "  When  I  left  them  to  their  toilet, 
I  thought  she  was  indeed  the  strangest 
girl  I  ever  saw,  and  the  prettiest." 

But  here  let  us  refer  to  the  Judge's 
interview  with  Rhett,  Davis,  and  Cobb. 
Having  myself  been  stationed  so  near  that 
I  could  hear  every  word,  and  having  also 
heard  the  forty  thousandth  lecture  on 
Southern  institutions,  State  rights,  and  all 
that  sort  of  constitutional  nonsense — seces- 
sion, war,  annihilation,  subjugation, — and 
heard  it  with  indifference  to  every  threat ; 
and  as  I  said  before,  standing  myself  near 
enough  to  hear  this  party  addressing  the 
Judge  in  that  manner,  I  quietly  awaited 
the  full  development  of  their  plots  and 
plans  with  him.  Now,  when  the  Judge 
was  informed  by  them  that  they  had 
already  organized,  and  that,  as  he  con- 
sidered himself  a  Southern  man,  and  as  he 
had  frequently  expressed  the  same  senti- 
ments that  they  held,  they  had  selected 
him  as  one  of  a  committee  on  very  import- 
ant business,  he  was  not  a  little  sur- 
prised. 

"  We  must  know,"  said  Cobb,  "  the  line 
of  demarkation :  who  are  friends  and  who 
are  enemies,"  and  his  position  in  Congress 
gave  importance  to  all  he  said.  "  We 
have  known  you  long,"  he  continued,  "  and 
the  necessity  of  the  case  makes  us  plain 
with  you  in  all  we  say.  Now  it  is  not  wise 
to  ask  a  man  his  sentiments ;  but  by  conver- 
sation we  often  learn  what  we  desire  to 
know.  It  is  thus  that  we  hope  to  learn 
who  is  for  us  and  who  is  against  us.  You 
have  the  advantage  of  long  acquaintance- 
ship, and  men  will  say  in  your  presence 
what  they  would  not  in  ours  ;  and  you  in 
turn  can  say  what  you  like  without  offence 
or  suspicion.     You  have  that  faculty." 

"  Yes,  I  know  I  have,"  said  the  Judge  ; 
and  he  stiffened  his  lips  like  a  member  of 
parliament. 

"  Now  then,"  said  Cobb,  "  I  want  you, 
as  the  news  of  Lincoln's  nomination  is  still 
fresh,  to  ply  men  well  to  the  task,  to 
know  what  they  will  do  in  case  the  South 
does  secede.  The  whole  thing  must  be 
done  between  now  and  the  4th  of  March. 


If  Buchanan  does  nothing,  we  are  safe  :  if 
Scott  goes  with  us,  we  are  victorious." 

"  Ah !  I  see,"  said  the  Judge,  "  you 
want  me  to  be  a  tool  for  you.  Do  you 
think  I  am  the  town's  fool  ?  You  bellow 
and  blow  awhile,  and  then  it  will  all  end 
in  smoke.  It  was  so  in  Calhoun's  time. 
They  came  to  me  then  ;  but  they  would 
not  stick.  It  is  all  bosh  :  though  I  will 
tell  you  this,  if  you  would  go  in,  us  I  used 
to  tell  Henry  Clay,  tooth  and  nail,  I  could 
take  the  administration  whichever  way  I 
like.  But,  I  will  be  no  tool  to  go  around 
peddling  my  opinions  before  such  men  as 
Scott  and  Buchanan.  I  must  first  see  the 
coast  clear,  and  then  I  will  advise  my 
friends  as  I  think  best." 

Cobb. — "  You  misunderstand  us  Judge. 
I  only  want  to  know  what  these  men's 
predispositions  are — to  know  if  the  thing 
is  so  and  so  what  course  to  adopt." 

"  Ah,  well !  "  said  the  Judge.  "  Ah  !  I 
see.  But,  for  that  matter  I  can  soon 
ascertain,  but,  I  caunot  lend  myself  to  any 
scheme  that  might  compromise  my  well-' 
known  principles.  You  know  I  have  been 
a  whig  since  1840." 

Cobb  then  assured  him  that  they  had 
organized  on  the  evening  previous,  and 
that  the  most  prominent  citizens  in  the 
Capital  were  bound  together,  and  he  also 
pointed  out  the  necessity  of  taking  by  vio- 
lence if  necessary,  all  the  offices  of  the  Gov- 
ernment, and  acknowledged  also  that  if 
Scott  could  be  brought  into  the  fold,  the 
whole  thing  could  be  fixed  up  in  a  week. 

When  he  talked  this  way  the  Judge  got 
a  little  frightened,  and  also  a  little  puz- 
zled ;  for  he  thought  perhaps  they  were 
playing  a  joke  on  him.  So  betwixt  the 
scare  and  the  puzzle  he  abruptly  withdrew, 
and  afterward  assured  me  he  was  up  to 
the  whole  game. 

The  others  were  now  in  a  perplexity  to 
think  that  they  had  discussed  so  great  a 
matter  to  one  so  heedless  and  unconcerned. 
It  was  evident  that  their  position  rendered 
it  dangerous,  as  yet,  to  attempt  any  overt 
act  against  the  Government.  The  magni- 
tude of  their  intended  attempt  to  dissolve 
the  Union,  made  each  one  more  backward 
than  his  neighbor,  and  anxious  for  a  fear- 
less leader  ;  to  know  the  position  of  Gen. 
Scott,  was  at  this  time  one  of  the  most 
anxious  inquiries  ever  seated  on  a  nation's 
heart.  That  the  South  would  secede  was 
now  believed  by  all  politically  well-in- 
formed men  in  the  country,  but  the  agents 
of  its  success  seemed  to  be  depending 
mostly  on  Scott  and  Buchanan.  The 
North  was  praying  for  Scott,  but  the 
South  was  ready  with  its  vengeance  on  all 
who  might  oppose  them. 


16 


TEE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


Rhett,  Cobb  and  Davis  were  at  this 
period  the  head  and  front  of  the  rebellion, 
and  they  'were  restless,  moving  from  place 
to  place,  bent  on  every  invention  to  fur- 
ther their  ends.  Immediately  now  Judge 
Francis  had  so  equivocally  promised  them 
they  resolved  on  another  and  more  ex- 
peditious method  of  accomplishing  it — 
though  more  of  that  hereafter.  And  again 
we  will  refer  to  the  Judge,  who  had  now 
made  up  his  mind  to  treat  the  matter  as 
one  of  second  rate  importance.  At  present 
he  was  interested  in  seeing  me,  and  I  am 
happy  to  say  he  found  me  in  the  office 
anxiously  awaiting  him. 

"  Come,  come,"  he  says,  "  those  royal 
bloods  have  had  me  out  in  yonder  burn- 
ing sun,  trying  to  cram  me,  and  play  some 
game  with  me  for  my  everlasting  good 
nature.  But  I  understand  the  point  of  a 
joke,  you  know.  I  am  too  old  for  them. 
Wait,  you  shall  see." 

I  then  told  him  how  they  had  spoken 
of  him  in  the  telegraph  office,  and  of  the 
tool  they  designed  to  make  him. 

"  What ! "  said  he,  "  do  they  rate  me  in 
such  a  manner  ?  Then,  indeed,  this  has 
been  no  joke.  It  was  in  earnest.  They 
wanted  to  send  me  to  Scott  and  Buchanan 
to  make  a  fool  of  me.  Indeed,  this  affair 
promises  mischief.  Well,  let's  have  it. 
We  need  mischief  and  a  grand  surjjrise. 
As  I  am  a  judge,  I  say  this  country  needs 
a  surprise.  It  is  the  hardest  up  of  any 
place  I  ever  heard  of.  We  have  no  char- 
acters, and  no  chance  to  make  any.  Our 
best  novelists  and  poets  are  played  out. 
Every  body  is  a  stick,  a  dolt,  anything. 
Let's  have  a  war.  We  will  then  have 
characters.  For  twenty  years  I  have 
visited  this  city,  and  God  forgive  me,  I 
have  often  been  tempted  to  overstate  the 
truth  of  things,  just  in  order  to  have  a  bit 
of  news ;  but  now  it  may  be,  we  shall 
have  news  sufficient  to  warrant  us  in 
speaking  truthfully.  Yet,  I  do  not  believe 
they  will  secede.  It  is  all  blowing.  I  am 
a  Southern  man,  I  used  to  blow.  I  learned 
that  of  John  C.  Calhoun,  but,  as  for  trick- 
ing me,  or  making  me  a  villain,  why  let 
them  go  to  Scott  and  Buchanan  them- 
selves. No.  Mind  you.  I  am  almost 
resolved  to  go  and  tell  them  a  barefaced 
falsehood  ;  that  I  have  been  to  Scott  and 
Buchanan,  and  that  Scott  aud  Buchanan 
are  both  in  favor  of  secession.  But,  wait. 
I  must  study  this  matter.  We  shall  see 
who  is  fool  for  the  other." 

He  then  pulled  me  along,  and  we 
marched  into  the  general  parlor,  where  we 
had  scarcely  entered  before  we  met  Mrs. 
Edge  and  Vickey.  The  former  was  an 
excellent  type  of  a  plain,  blunt  woman, 


attired  in  silk  satin  and  diamonds.  She 
had  a  very  substantial  step.  The  daughter 
was  a  pretty  blue-eyed  girl,  with  black 
ringlets,  and  tall,  thin,  and  straight  up  an 
down. 

"  Now  let  me,"  ssid  the  Judge, — and  he 
turned  toward  them  and  bid  them  be 
seated.  "  Now  let  me  " — and  he  spoke  to 
me  in  a  whisper.  "  I  will  show  you 
how  to  make  them  at  home," — for  really 
he  was  as  much  at  home  in  this  house,  as 
if  it  were  his  own,  having  made  it  his 
stopping  place  for  the  last  twenty  years, 
and  having  also  provided  it  with  the 
choicest  wines  from  his  own  plantation. 
He  then  turned  toward  the  ladies. 

"If  I  mistake  not,"  said  he,  "this  is 
Mrs.  Edge  and  her  daughter  Victoria." 
They  nodded  assent.  "  Mr.  Edge,  the  large 
railroad  contractor,  is  well-known  by  name 
to  myself,  and,  in  fact,  to  every  prominent 
man  of  the  Capitol.  But,  I  believe,  fortune 
has  not  favored  us  with  so  large  a  knowl- 
edge of  his  family,  further  than  that  they 
are  on  a  visit  to  lend  the  charm  of  their 
accomplishments  to  this  city.  Excuse  me ; 
my  gray  hairs  tell  you  that  I  am  only 
speaking  things  that  give  me  more  pride 
than  pleasure,  and  that  I  desire  to  make 
you  comfortable  while  you  enjoy  the  hos- 
pitalities of  the  place." 

They  smiled  and  bowed  an  affirmative, 
feeling  confident  now  that  they  were 
indeed  emerging  into  some  of  the  upper 
circles.  The  Judge,  pleased  with  his  own 
style,  went  on. 

"  If  you  please,  I  will  now  take  the 
privilege  of  introducing  my  excellent 
friend,  Mr.  Jenkins,"  upon  which  he  smiled 
and  bowed,  and  they  in  turn  smiled  and 
bowed  to  him,  and  Mrs.  Edge,  with  a 
square  plain  voice,  said,  "  I  hope  you  are 
both  quite  well.  I  am  glad  to  see  you 
and  get  acquainted.  It  is  a  nice  spell  of 
weather." 

Now  I  had  indeed  been  astonished  to 
see  how  the  ladies  were  puzzled  at  the 
Judge's  compliments,  and  I  was  still  more 
puzzled  when  Mrs.  Edge  answered  him  so 
plainly,  and  we  were  both  of  us  without 
anything  to  say  for  a  moment. 

Vickey,  seeing  our  predicament,  and 
bringing  her  boarding-school  tactics  to 
bear  on  us,  now  rejoined  : 

"  If  I  mistake  not,  you  are  Judge  Fran- 
cis Underbill  of  Loudon  Heights  ?  " 

The  Judge  bowed. 

"  The  country  at  large  acknowledge  the 
past  and  present  ruler  of  its  manifest  des- 
tiny. This  other  gentleman,  whom  I  am 
sorry  to  have  had  the  misfortune  to  have 
never  knowTn,  I  take  to  be  one  of  the  satel- 
lites of  your  important  glory.     I  am  in- 


LOVE  AND  WAR   IN   1860. 


17 


deed  so  happy  with  this  adventure ;  "  and 
again  she  smiled,  she  and  the  Judge 
alternately  bowing. 

I  was  puzzled  to  know  if  she  were  not 
poking  tun  at  us,  and  I  think  the  Judge 
was  too  ;  for  he  hesitated  a  moment  as  if 
to  say  to  me  that,  for  once  in  his  life,  he 
had  found  a  more  presumptuous  fool  than 
himself,  or  else  one  who  understood  him 
more  than  he  had  ever  been  before  in  his 
life.  After  a  moment,  however,  he  re- 
torted : 

"  Too  much  honor  you  give  to  one  who 
has  ever  esteemed  himself  scarcely  better 
than  a  Congressman,  and  yet  I  accept  it 
with  more  pride  than  had  it  been  uttered 
by  any  of  the  queens  or  potentates  of  any 
other  country  under  the  sun." 

He  now  thought  he  had  sealed  her  up, 
but  she  came  in  as  fluently  as  if  she  had 
been  taught  in  a  theatre  : 

"  Not  the  compliment,  sir,"  she  said, 
"  when  its  source  could  come  back  to  me 
with  so  dear  a  fondness  from  the  lips  of 
none  other  than  the  clearest-headed  philo- 
sopher that  ever  graced  a  nation.  "We 
have  heard  with  unmistakable  pleasure 
the  power  you  wield,  and  of  the  admira- 
tion and  brightness  of  your  lustre  in  the 
society  of  our  most  devoted  countrymen, 
and  now  chronicle  it  in  our  untutored 
hearts — this  happiest  of  all  human  events 
— the  meeting  of  one  never  to  be  for- 
gotten." 

I  knew  the  Judge  was  nearly  at  the  end 
of  his  string,  and  was  in  hopes,  too,  that 
I  would  get  something  to  run  on  with  him 
afterwards,  for  being  quashed  by  a  green 
country  girl. 

When  I  looked  around  to  Mrs.  Edge,  I 
saw  that  she  was  breathless  and  seemingly 
scared  by  the  eloquence  of  the  speakers. 

"  Indeed  !  "  said  the  Judge — the  hap- 
piest of  all  human  events  to  him,  wdiose 
hoary  hairs  have  sprung  from  the  dire 
cause  of  its  long  withholding.  "  I  am  at 
loss,  not  for  your  ultimate  joy,  but  for  the 
part  I  am  to  contribute  in  every  passing 
moment  you  may  sojourn  in  our  city  of 
magnificent  distances." 

Again  she  replied.  "  Not  so  much  your 
loss  in  that,  as  will  be  ours  to  accept  and 
maintain  with  due  discretion  to  our  un- 
cultured minds.  You  know,  sir,  we  come 
from  Ohio.  You,  I  am  informed,  are  of 
the  first  families  of  Virginia.  We  have 
come  amongst  you  to  behold  the  greatness 
of  great  men  and  women.  Like  pitiless 
housewives,  we  make  but  an  unseeming 
part  in  the  world  of  spectators  around, 
praying  that  the  dazzling  glory  may  so 
gently  fall  on  our  unexpecting  vision,  that 
its  radiance  lift  us  into  the  winning  paths 

2 


where  the  heart  of  woman  dallies  in  her 
fondest  dreams ;  where  she  lingers  in  the 
hope  that  some  of  her  gentleness  has 
touched  at  the  fount,  the  reciprocating 
omen  responsive  to  her  far  off  sighs  and 
endless  melancholy." 

The  Judge  was  now  almost  lost.  He 
had  never  heard  so  vast  a  strain  before ; 
but  still  he  rallied : 

"  We  hope,"  said  he  again,  "  only  for 
the  relict  of  other  days  standing  between  it 
and  the  consummation  of  an  angel's  wish." 

"  Not  age,  sir,"  said  she,  "  but  the  heart 
within  makes  the  mighty  difference,  if 
difference  indeed  there  can  be." 

"  Indeed,"  said  he,  "  I  tell  you,  young 
hearts  often  live  in  old  men  ;  but,  in  such 
as  have  been  married,  or  taken  to  politics, 
in  them  the  heart  dies.  By  the  by,"  said 
he,  turning  to  me — for  he  was  entirely 
played  out,  and  longed  for  a  change  of 
the  subject — "  By  the  by,  do  you  know, 
my  excellent  friend  Buchanan  told  me  this 
morning  he  cannot  remember  having  ever 
loved  anything  in  all  the  days  of  his  life. 
Remarkable — 'pon  my  word,  remarkable." 

"  Indeed,"  said  I,  "  he  loves  his  party." 

"  Just  as  I  told  him,"  said  the  Judge, 
"  and,  had  he  pursued  the  even  tenor  of 
man's  good  nature,  he  had  had  a  heart 
full  of  love  to  this  day.  But,  ladies,  I  had 
forgot  myself,  not  having  the  heart  to 
withdraw,  I  promised  the  senior  member 
of  your  family  that  my  carriage  should  be 
at  your  service  during  your  sojourn  in 
Washington,  and  I  shall  take  great  pleas- 
ure in  introducing  you  into  the  highest 
ranks  of  society." 

He  always  offered  his  carriage  to  every- 
body that  stopped  at  the  Jackson  House. 
He  and  his  carriage,  though  both  the 
worse  for  wear,  had  both  become  fixtures 
for  the  hotel — the  carriage  having  for 
several  years  degenerated  into  a  kind  of 
public  hack ;  still  it  sounded  liberal  to 
tender  the  use  of  it,  and  the  ladies  named 
now  thanked  him  cordially.  Mrs.  Edge 
told  me  a  moment  afterwards  that  she  had 
been  so  transported  with  the  foregoing 
eloquence  of  her  daughter  and  the  Judge, 
that  she  "  could  hardly  tell  whether  she 
was  herself  standing  on  her  feet  or  on  her 
head." 

The  whole  affair  was  now  cut  short  by 
the  entrance  of  the  mistress  of  Loudon 
Heights — Miss  Ann  Underbill,  niece  of 
the  Judge.  As  she  afterwards  became  one 
of  the  greatest  solicitudes  of  the  country, 
and  as  her  jjerils,  hardships,  struggles,  and 
sterling  worth  may  long  be  remembered 
with  kindly  feelings  by  the  whole  country, 
I  must  here  tell  you  about  her,  how- 
ever much  I  may  be  moved  in  so  doing. 


18 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


Ann  Unclerhill  was  an  orphan,  brought 
up  by  the  Judge,  and  now  in  her  twentieth 
year.  She  had  received  excellent  advan- 
tages ;  the  Judge  having  spared  no  ex- 
pense to  develop  her  naturally  attractive 
qualities.  He  had  her  well  educated,  and 
had  also  favored  her  with  the  best  of 
society  in  this  and  other  countries  :  add 
to  this  a  fun-loving,  frolicking  disposition, 
with  due  regard  for  reverence,  backed  by 
an  inherited  fortune,  and  say  that  she  was 
a  sweet  girl  with  auburn  hair,  rosy  cheeks, 
plump  person,  and  real,  innocent,  pleasing 
beauty,  who,  seen  but  once,  is  ne'er  for- 
gotten. 

As  I  said  before,  she  now  came  into  the 
room,  running  in  and  calling  out  "  Oh  1 
uncle,  uncle,  come  to  the  window — come 
and  see,"  and  she  flung  her  arms  around 
his  neck  and  dragged  him  hastily  towards 
the  street  window. 

We  all  looked  out  and  now  beheld  a 
crowd  of  boys,  worthless  fellows,  coming 
down  the  avenue.  Whereupon  we  all 
drew  near  the  window  to  see  the  attrac- 
tion, and  we  did  behold  a  thing ;  it  had 
a  head,  and  cars,  and  such  a  tongue  !  may 
the  stars  bedim  our  vision  if  ever  was  such 
a  funny  creature — a  woman  !  Good  Lord, 
a  woman  !  Miss  Lucy  Tabiatha  Stimpkins 
— in  a  bloomer  !  She  came  and  stood  on 
the  porch  near  us,  and  began  about  her 
journal. 

Some  one  outside  the  hall  asked  her  if 
she  was  going  to  publish  marriages  in  her 
journal,  and  she  answered  by  saying, 
"  Marriages,  marriages  in  my  journal  ?  I 
hope  I  will  fill  it  with  better  stuff."  As 
there  were  many  boys  and  idlers  near  her, 
we  heard  them  laugh,  and  shout  so  that 
the  half  she  spoke  was  not  heard  by  us.  In 
a  little  while,  however,  she  told  us  she 
liked  to  see  us  merry  ;  "  but  I  am  sorry," 
said  she,  "  you  don't  cultivate  your  minds 
for  more  honorable  ends." 

Some  one  again  shouted  "  Publish  the 
marriages !  "  but  she  was  becoming  so 
enraged  as  to  not  answer  with  sufficient 
discretion  to  suit  so  base  a  crowd. 

"  I'll  not  publish  such  stuff!  "  she  final- 
ly screamed  out ;  when  some  one  near  said, 
"  Call  marriages  stuff  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  she,  "  stuff,"  and  she  fairly 
squealed. 

Again  some  one  said,  "  Very  important 
stufl ! " 

"  No,  sir,  poor  stuff,"  said  she,  and 
thereupon  the  laugh  became  so  loud  and 
boisterous,  that  she  stood  still  and  became 
immovable  as  formerly,  angrily  composed. 
"  I  have  been  married,"  said  she,  "  I  know 
what  I  say."  ("  Good  !  good  !  "  from  the 
crowd.)     "  Ah  !    indeed,  you  may  laugh  ; 


but  I  say  marriage  is  stuff.  I  go  in  for  the 
cultivation  of  the  moral  and  intellectual 
faculties.  You  may  laugh.  I  am  resolved 
that  marriages  shall  never  be  published  in 
my  paper;  it  shall  stand  on  fundamen- 
tal principles.  Reform,  is  my  motto 
(Laughter.)  Well,  laugh  on ;  I  am  not  a 
laugher  myself;  nor  do  I  mean  to  be  the 
cause  of  laughter  in  others.  When  my  jour- 
nal shall  have  wiped  out  a  thousand  grog- 
shops, then  you  may  laugh  ;  when  I  have 
overturned  slavery,  then  I'll  laugh.  Ah, 
go  on  !  go  on !  You  shall  6ee  me  laugh 
then,  and  I'll  make  the  whole  country 
laugh  on  the  other  side  of  their  mouth 
when  I  laugh.  You  and  all  your  doctrines 
shall  be  vanquished  then." 

Of  course  we  laughed,  and  in  a  moment 
she  handed  some  palmers  to  a  sort  of  con- 
sort,—a  thin-faced  man,  with  long  whis- 
kers, who  accompanied  her,  and  whom  she 
called  Professor,  and  who  was  called  by 
the  crowd  Pro-fusser  Jackson  ;  and  then, 
with  much  sternness,  she  walked  away, 
followed  by  the  uneasy  crowd. 

The  Professor  remained,  and  somewhat 
abashed,  approached  our  friend  Prescott, 
and  asked  him  to  subscribe  to  the  Journal 
of  Progress.  Prescott  declined,  and  re- 
ferred Lim  to  Judge  Francis  Underbill, 
and  sure  enough  the  Judge  subscribed. 

The  Professor  thanked  him,  whereupon 
the  Judge  said  he  was  not  aware  that  any 
one  was  associated  with  Miss  Lucy.  The 
Professor  said  in  turn,  "  Neither  there  was 
until  this  morning.  I  was  most  miracu- 
lously thrown  into  her  presence  last  even- 
ing, and  we  discovered  such  an  affinity  of 
ideas,  as  induced  us  to  go  into  partner- 
ship." 

"  What,"  said  the  Judge,  "  are  you  mar- 
ried, then  ? " 

"  Yes,  if  you  term  the  contract  between 
man  and  woman  marriage.  Why,  yes. 
But  we  are  married  with  freedom,  under 
protest,  that  whenever  either  is  desirous 
of  dissolving  partnership,  we  can  do  so. 
We  don't  endorse  the  ancient  scheme,  'for 
better  or  for  worse,'  but,  for  better  only, 
and  if  we  find  it  no  better,  why,  like  sensi- 
ble creatures,  we  quit  it."  "  An  excellent 
doctrine,"  said  the  Judge,  "  and,  sir,  may 
I  ask  what  the  future  name  of  our  editress 
is  to  be  ?  " 

"  The  same  as  before,"  said  the  Pro- 
fessor, "  Miss  Lucy  Tabiatha  Stimpkins. 
We  are  not  arbitrary.  We  keep  our  own 
names.  The  harmonial  system  gives  us 
that  privilege,  especially  when  both  names 
are  euphonious." 

We  all  expressed  our  approval,  with 
which  flattering  indorsement  the  Professor 
took  his  leave. 


GENERAL      CASS. 


20 


TOE  FALL  OF  FOPvT  SUMTER  ;    I  IB, 


"  Now  I  will  tell  you,"  said  the  Judge, 
'•  the  signs  of  the  times  betoken  much  dif- 
ficulty to  t'iis  country.  In  all  countries  — 
in  all  ages  of  the  world,  a  long  peace  lias 
ever  given  rise  to  these  spurious  philoso- 
phies. Wise  and  unassuming  men  keep  in 
tlie  background;  l>ut  self-conceited,  brain- 
less would-be  philosophers,  inconsiderate 
of  the  facts  of  history  which  prove  the 
system  of  social  and  political  life  best 
suite. 1  to  the  elevation  of  mankind;  and 
they  start  now  with  their  foolish  theories 
as  the  foundation  of  something  holy. 
Spiritualism,  free  love-ism,  magnetism. 
Tut  !  Such  folly;  such  nonsense.  It  racks 
my  brain." 

'•  Why,  indeed,  Judge,"  said  Vickey, 
"  you  surely  believe  in  magnetism  '.  " 

M  Oh  yes ;  that  of  a  fair  lady,  who  can 
draw  any  man  unto  her." 

"  Yes,'*  said  she,  "  and  that  men  can 
magnetize  one  another.'1 

"  Well,  let  them  magnetize  me  ;  they 
will  have  a  good  time." 

"  Now  1  know  a  man,"  said  Vickey,  "  a 
Professor.  He  came  on  the  same  train 
with  us.  and  is  stopping  at  this  hotel.  He 
besought  me,  if  I  found  a  man,  a  sceptic, 
to  tell  him  of  it,  and  he  would  magnetize 
him." 

"  Then  I  am  his  man,"  said  the  Judge. 
"Bring  him  on  ;  let  him  put  me  to  sleep. 
He  shall  put  me  into  the  magnetized 
slumber."  Here  the  Judge  recollected 
himself,  and  introduced  his  niece,  Ann 
Underbill,  to  Mrs.  and  Miss  Edge,  and  he 
and  one  of  our  friends,  Mr.  Prescott,  whom 
we  will  notice  hereafter,  took  their  de- 
parture. 

As  the  ladies  had  now  turned  to  each 
other,  I  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity 
and  withdrew  to  await  the  Judge's  return  ; 
f»r  he  and  I  had  an  important  charge  in 
reference  to  the  Prince  of  Wales'  proces- 
sion, which  was  set  down  to  take  2>lace  on 
the  day  following. 

Now,  it  so  happened  that  Vickey  and 
Ann  Underbill  were  favorably  impressed 
with  each  other,  and  Mrs.  Edge  was  not 
ill  pleased  either. 

But,  I  must  say  here,  in  consequence  of 
the  many  idle  rumors  afloat  of  the  melan- 
choly affair  that  followed,  in  reference  to 
Miss  Underbill,  that  up  to  this  time  I  had 
never  publishe  I  any  attachment  to  the 
Ju  Ige's  niece,  nor  had  I  by  word  or  ges- 
ture induced  any  one  to  think  so.  She 
was  indeed  a  pretty  girl ;  I  had  said  the 
same  to  myself  fifty  times  a  day,  but 
said  nothing  of  it.  I  had  seen  now, 
for  the  first  time,  Prescott  look  at  her 
with  some  earnestness,  and  he  had  also 
with  as  much  fondness  seemed  to  look  on 


Vickey,  whose  greenness,  or,  in  fashion- 
able parlance,  extreme  innocence, together 

with  so  good,  natural  wit  had  surprised 
us;  but  that  the  Judge  could  be  in  love 
with  Vickey — that  was  the  novelty,  and 
of  its  discovery  you  shall  now  hear. 

<)n  leaving  the  parlor,  he  called  at  the 
oilier,  saying  to  the  clerk.  "  I  am  done 
with  all  this  nonsense.  I  have  seen  an 
angel  ;  and  I  cannot  be  in  any  way  acces- 
sory to  a  trick  on  her.  We  have  given  a 
lift  to  many  stuck-up-faced  young  women, 
and  we  have  done  so  with  a  clear  con- 
science ;  but,  to  this  one— never  !  No  ! 
never !  " 

••  Well,  now  really,"  said  the  clerk,  "  if 
you  really  are  a  great  man,  you  have  at 
last  betrayed  a  weakness." 

■•  No.  no,"  said  the  Judge,  "  T  bid  good- 
by  to  all  my  folly.  Yonder  belle  has 
spoken  such  words  as  only  could  coine 
from  the  lips  of  Nature's  queen  ;  and  I 
caution  you,  if  you  ever  speak  of  her,  to 
do  it  with  such  prudence  as  a  well- 
deserved  person  may  attain." 

At  that  the  clerk  laughed,  immediately 
saying.  "  Why.  why  don't  you  tell  her 
that  you  love  her,  and  not  come  to  me  '.  " 

"Tut,"  said  the  Judge,  "I  am  an  old 
man.  I  can  admire  beauty,  intelligence, 
and  noble  qualities,  and  esteem  the  per- 
son, yet ;  but  I  prate  of  love  no  more." 

At  that  he  sallied  out  of  the  office,  in 
company  with  Prescott — where,  or  for 
what  purpose,  was  yet  unknown  to  me. 

While  I  sat  there,  I  mused  on  the  com- 
ing events  of  the  country,  and  of  the 
probable  future  marked  out  for  myself, 
with  anything  but  satisfactory  conclusions. 
That  there  would  lie  war  between  the 
North  and  the  South,  bad  been  prophesied 
for  many  years  by  many  men.  Andrew- 
Jackson  had,  thirty  years  ago,  by  a  single 
message,  set  it  off  for  an  indefinite  period. 
James  Buchanan  could  do  tie  same,  but 
would  it  result  in  much  \  Sooner  or  later, 
it  must  come.  Then  why  not  let  it  come 
at  once  ?  Has  not  the  great  power  that 
rules  over  the  nations  left  the  wayward 
clamor  of  politicians  to  sway  the  people, 
until  the  present  imbecile  President  is  the 
tool — the  lowest  degrading  point  of  party 
love  ?  A  thing  to  mark  the  zero  of  man's 
most  ungodly  weakness.  Can  these  isms — 
these  fanaticisms  and  follies  go  on,  when 
they  thus  spring  from  the  idleness  of  man, 
and  from  the  corruptions  of  his  mode  of 
obtaining  a  living  \ 

An  editress  !  A  lecturer  !  Magnetism  ! 
Quack  doctors  !  Quack  lawyers  !  Behold 
what  a  host  of  idlers,  contributing  not  so 
much  as  one  poor  potatoe  to  theii  fellows' 
existence.      Idlers!    and   then   I   said    to 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IX  1860. 


21 


myself,  what  am  I  ?  A  rich  man's  son, 
VI  it  11  nothing  to  do  !  Indeed,  I  am  not  so 
much  in  worth  as  yonder  poor  pert cr,  who 
carries  trunks  and  boxes  for  these  care- 
worn travellers.  And  then  I  said  to  my- 
self, I  should  marry,  and  convert  the 
balance  of  my  days  to  some  use  ;  but  ever 
and  anon  that  hard-l'aced  editress  passed 
before  my  vision.  Had  not  some  poor 
fellow  been  once  caught  by  her  ?  and 
might  not  I  be  likewise  caught  ?  The 
sumach  hath  a  tender,  beautiful  blossom, 
but  when  its  fruit  ripens,  even  its  smell  is 
death  to  the  passer  by.  The  sumach 
makes  us  dread  the  hyacinth  ;  and  one 
Stimpkins  strikes  us  with  dread  at  the 
approach  of  angels.  Thus  I  mused,  the 
while  taking  notes  of  what  was  passing, 
and  which,  in  fact,  interrupted  me  by  the 
strangeness  of  the  scene.  But  a  moment 
before,  the  trio  of  ladies  had  been  prome- 
nading the  parlor,  apparently  enjoying 
themselves  as  all  transient  acquaintances 
do  in  our  magnificent  hotels ;  but  now  I 
beheld  only  Ann,  the  others  having  left, 
and  she  was  seated  near  the  piano,  not 
playing,  but  idly  touching  the  keys.  Near 
her  stood  a  tall  and  handsome  young  man, 
with  such  long  hair  as  told  me  at  a  glance 
he  was  a  Southerner.  He  looked  on  her, 
but  she  looked  not  upward,  and  I  heard 
him  gently  going  on  in  this  strain.  "  We 
have  such  mild  breezes  from  the  ocean, 
and  the  vines  and  evergreen  forests  ever 
nestling  above  us,  shielding  us  from  the 
burning  suns.  Sometimes  we  rouse  our- 
selves to  certain  action,  to  prove  the  genial 
things  around  be  not  in  dreams  but  pres- 
ent are.  Sometimes  from  active  sports, 
we  pensive  tram  ourselves  to  mete  out  the 
deep  devotion  we  owe  for  these  endless 
blessings."  And  then  she  replied,  "  O  !  I 
think  'tis  beautiful  to  dwell  in  such  a 
place  !  " 

"  Not  always  beautiful,"  said  he,  "  for 
even  as  we  in  the  sunny  South  have  that 
which  only  bounteous  nature  can  bestow 
to  make  us  appreciate  all  the  joys  and 
glories  that  man  can  attain,  so  does  the 
contrast,  with  equal  force,  ply  to  soul, 
if  the  highest  of  anticipations  be  not 
achieved.  The  sadness  then  of  an  unap- 
preciated nature,  and  the  woe  of  a  disap- 
pointed affection,  reverts  upon  his  former 
dreams  but  to  make  all  things  desolate." 
From  this  on,  his  voice  was  inaudible  to 
me ;  neither  did  I  hear  the  frolicsome  Ann 
say  another  word.  She  seemed  to  dally 
with  the  keys,  as  one  absent  in  thought ; 
her  golden  ringlets,  like  so  much  sunlight, 
shielding  from  view  even  that  which  their 
own  beauty  adorned. 

Why  dicl  I  not  know  this  man  ?     How 


was  it  that  the  Judge  had  never  told  me  I 
How  was  it  that  he  seemed  so  well  ac- 
quainted with  Ann,  and  yet  she  had  never 
mentioned  him  ?  Who  was  he,  and  what 
was  his  business?  His  language  seemed 
fine,  but  I  could  not  catch  another  word. 
Her  answers  were  short,  but  only  to  give 
me  more  uneasiness.  He  finally  drew  from 
his  pocket  a  splendid  watch,  saying,  "  The 
time  is  indisputable,  and  though  a  mo- 
ment is  more  prized  than  all  the  wealth 
of  Croesus,  yet  it  flies  from  my  grasp. 
To-morrow,  at  ten."  She  nodded,  but  said 
nothing;  and  then  he  bade  her  good-by 
and  left.  I  was  nigh  rushing  ivp  to  her  to 
demand  the  meaning  of  this  affair,  but 
hesitated  for  a  moment,  and  she  trill  eel  a 
little  on  the  piano,  and  then  up  and  ran 
out  singing — 

"A  southern  liome  in  endless  summer,''  etc., 

her  voice  so  merrily  sounding  through 
the  hall,  that  I  almost  forgot  what 
had  just  passed.  When  he  had  said  ten, 
to-morrow,  I  knew  that  was  the  hour 
the  Prince  of  Wales  procession  was  to 
begin,  and  I  fully  expected  he  had  offered 
and  was  accepted  as  her  companion  for 
the  occasion.  1  had  previously  resolved  to 
be  that  companion  myself,  but  now  was 
fully  resolved  to  say  nothing  about  it  to 
her.  Thinking  there  would  be  uo  court 
to-day,  I  was  about  leaving,  but  on  jiass- 
ing  out  in  the  hall,  that  large,  wide,  out- 
side hall,  I  saw  just  before  me  that  ever 
present  Mrs.  Lucy  Tabiatha  Stimpkins, 
and  her  new-made  husband,  Professor 
Jackson.  They  were  rehearsing  some- 
thing, and  did  not  see  me  ;  I  withdrew  to 
play  a  sort  of  eaves-d  reaper.  At  the  far 
end  of  the  hall  were  Ann  and  Vickey,  who 
were  also  playing  eaves-dropper  to  the 
scene.  "  You  know,"  said  Mrs.  Lucy,  "  it 
is  the  same  eternal  dread  of  woman's 
power  that  makes  men  unwilling  to  give 
us  footing.  But  these  things  shall  not 
continue.  I  am  resolveel  to  vanquish  all 
our  enemies.  I  will  attack  them  in  even- 
place,  and  I  will  prove  that  mind,  even  if 
it  be  woman's,  can  and  shall  master  all  the 
rudeness  in  man.  To-morrow  is  to  be  the 
pi-ocession  in  honor  of  the  Prince  of 
Wales,  and  you  shall  see ;  even  boasting 
Briton's  scion  shall  knuckle  to  woman. 
He  shall  stoop  to  know  my  will  and 
pleasure  ;  mine,  even  me,  yet  an  unknown 
woman;  and  I  shall  so  berate  the  down- 
trodden condition  of  the  women  of  Eng- 
land to  him,  that  he'll  never  pass  another 
happy  day  on  this  continent.  Now,  I 
want  to  know  if  in  your  opinion  it  would 
not  be  wise  to  give  him  such  a  philan- 
thropic lesson  ?  "      "  Certainly,"  said   the 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  18G0. 


23 


Professor,  "  certainly,  it  would  be  excel- 
lent. It  would  be  a  valuable  contribution 
to  the  harmonial  philosophy."  "  Well 
then,  hark  you,"  she  said  ;  "  hear  my  plans. 
We  shall  station  ourselves  somewere  near 
the  route,  in  the  midst  of  the  crowd,  and, 
as  the  Prince  draws  near,  I'll  rush  forward 
and  pretend  to  be  knocked  down  by  the 
throng ;  falling  even  at  his  feet.  Of 
course,  he'll  pick  me  up,  and  I'll  cry  out, 
4  Where's  the  Prince  !  Where's  the  Prince  ! 
Let  me  his  horns  behold ;  that  boy,  so 
unlike  all  men  and  boys,  can  draw  to  the 
view  of  his  august  body  this  mighty 
throng  of  free-born  Americans  !  Where  is 
that  Prince  ?  Where's  the  Prince  ? '  and 
thus  I'll  rate  until  he,  forsooth,  tells  me 
he  is  himself  the  Prince,  and  then  I'll 
scorn,  saying,  '  You  !  you  the  Prince  ?  I 
thought  you  were  a  wandering  country 
boy,  whose  legs  outran  the  body,  coming 
here  alone  with  scarce  a  head  to  hold  the 
two  together.  Proud  scion  of  ancient 
Albion,  I  greet  you  with  a  woman's  ten- 
derness. Know,  sir,  that  my  name  is  Mrs. 
Lucy  Tabiatha  Stimpkins,  the  champion 
for  the  rights  of  down-trodden  woman.  In 
olden  times  you  had  in  your  own  country 
knights  errant  to  alleviate  the  horrors  of 
her  sphere  ;  but  now,  alas  !  you,  too,  even 
as  the  men  in  this  country,  do  seize  upon 
the  light  avocations  suited  to  her,  and  you 
drive  her  to  the  most  wretched  misery  ! 
And  then  I  shall  tell  him  such  tales  of 
horrors  about  the  poor  women  of  England, 
as  shall  vanquish  all  his  remaining  joys." 
"  Most  excellent,"  said  Professor  Jackson, 
"  nothing  could  be  more  apropos.  Its 
effect  will  endure  for  ages ;  it  will  teach 
the  world  to  know  that  woman's  rights 
must  and  shall  be  respected."  "  But  now, 
mark  you,"  said  she,  "  you  must  be  near, 
to  see  that  when  I  throw  myself  at  his 
feet,  no  harm  comes  to  me  ;  you  know  the 
English  are  awful  ill-mannered,  and  only 
possessed  of  snail-like  speed ;  now  you 
must  not  let  me  be  run  over."  "  O  !  I'll 
look  out  for  that ;  I'll  see  to  it."  said  he, 
and  she  then  showed  him  how  she  would 
do,  and  the  part  he  was  to  play.  I  could 
not  help  smiling  at  such  simple  mockery, 
and  was  all  on  fire  to  acquaint  the  Judge 
and  other  members  of  our  court  with  the 
contemplated  scene.  The  girls  at  the  other 
end  of  the  hall  were  laughing,  even  so  that 
I  feared  Mrs.  Lucy  would  hear  them  ;  but 
she  did  not.  As  soon  as  the  way  was 
clear,  I  started.  In  the  hall  I  picked  up  a 
slip  of  paper  on  which  was  written  "  To 
the  most  beautiful .     Be  happy  !  "     I 


dropped  it  at  once,  lest  the  fair  ones 
might  suppose  that  I  myself  wrote  it.  I 
supposed  Prescott  wrote  it,  and  it  was 
intended  for  Vickey  ;  but  I  knew  not.  As 
I  passed  through  the  office,  the  clerk 
called  me.  "  Do  you  know,"  said  he, 
"  there's  going  to  be  war  ?  Every  corner 
is  blocked  by  men  in  cautious  conver- 
sation ?  Such  mutterings  as  I  do  hear, 
and  every  man  has  so  much  a  bull-dog 
look.  Even  priests  and  other  pious  peo- 
ple, in  company  and  alone,  do  clench  their 
jaws  ;  and  from  every  man's  mouth,  even 
though  he  be  silent,  I  do  hear  oaths  ter- 
rible !  Methinks  the  very  air  hath  a 
solemn  sound,  and  the  drum  and  fife,  and 
fierce  rattle  of  musketry  comes  from 
afar  off.  Nor  am  I  alone  in  these  horrors ; 
for  e'en  while  you  waited  yonder,  strange 
and  active  men  have  come  and  gone  in 
this  hotel,  as  never  men  did  before.  Every 
man  has  some  great  errand,  some  mission 
that  needs  be  done  at  once.  Prescott 
comes  for  Judge  Francis;  some  one  comes 
for  Prescott,  and  while  they  whisper  and 
nod,  another  comes,  and  they  all  hurry  off 
together."  When  he  told  me  this,  I  was 
being  troubled  lest  the  Judge  might  fall 
in  with  the  seceders,  and,  of  course,  leave 
the  city,  taking  with  him  his  niece.  With 
a  somewhat  heavy  heart  I  ventured  out, 
determined  to  go  to  every  place  but  I 
would  find  the  Judge.  I  fancied  I  had 
detected  something  of  vast  importance  to 
the  whole  nation  respecting  Floyd,  Thomp- 
son, Madame  Ponehard,  or  the  Prince  of 
Wales.  Just  as  I  came  to  the  corner  of  J 
Street,  I  met  Judge  Francis,  who  exclaim- 
ed, "  O  !  such  things  as  I  have  heard  ! 
Come,  let  us  to  the  Temple  ;  we  will  as- 
semble our  happy  dozen  to  con  over  the 
strangest  things  ever  heard  of.  Go,  call 
our  friends  together ;  we've  caught  a 
hare !  "  Now  I  noticed,  when  he  came 
near,  that  he  had  something  concealed  in 
his  bosom,  and  it  seemed  very  large  ;  so  I 
began  to  talk  with  him,  drawing  nearer 
the  while,  till  I  got  a  peep,  and  I  beheld 
that  it  was  a  huge  bouquet  of  flowers. 
Then  I  told  him  we  should  at  once  go  to 
the  Temple,  but  he  said,  "  By  and  by  ;  go 
you,  I  will  come  after."  But  I  said,  "  Why 
not  let  us  go  together  ?  "  He  hesitated  a 
moment,  and  then  told  me  he  had  a  little 
business  affair  down  at  the  hotel.  I  knew 
then  he  was  going  to  take  the  flowers  to 
Vickey  ;  but  I  said  nothing  about  it.  So 
we  each  one  set  out  to  meet  at  the  Temple, 
where  I  was  to  give  in  my  testimony — the 
most  important  history  ever  heard  of. 


24 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;   OR, 


CHAPTER    III 


After  I  had  finished  the  last  chapter,  I 
looked  back  to  the  place  where  Miss  Stimp- 
kins  was  saying  she  would  make  the  whole 
country  laugh  on  the  other  side  of  its 
mouth,  and  I  also  laughed.  The  conse- 
quence was,  Jenkins  saw  me  laughing,  and 
he  asked  me  how  I  liked  the  book  thus 
far  ?  I  told  him  every  one  of  his  charac- 
ters seemed  to  have  a  good  deal  of  self- 
conceit  ;  and  that  he  himself  betrayed  it  a 
little.  "  No  matter,"  said  he,  "  the  book 
must  be  a  true  history  of  the  country  ;  if 
we  do  manifest  a  little  self-conceit,  why, 
you  must  remember  that  we  are  only  two 
hundred  years  back  descended  from  the 
English."  I  told  him,  too,  that  where 
Victoria  used  such  fine  language,  I  thought 
it  was  overdrawn ;  but  he  said  that  there 
are  many  country  girls  in  his  country  as 
green  in  their  public  behavior  as  she  was, 
and  yet  have  all  the  brightness,  fluency 
and  innocence  that  Vickey  manifested.  He 
nays,  moreover,  that  the  same  country  girls 
are  the  purest  and  best  that  can  be  found 
in  any  part  of  the  world.  I  told  him  I 
would  write  it  down  so,  though  I  feared  it 
would  not  be  satisfactory  for  them  to  hear 
of  it.  Then  I  urged  him  to  tell  me 
whether  he  married  Miss  Ann  Underbill, 
and  he  said,  "  wait  a  little." 

"  No,  no,"  said  I,  "  before  I  write 
another  word  of  this  great  history,  tell  me 
wThether  you  or  the  Southern  gentleman 
got  her  ? " 

He  smiled  a  httle,  and  then  began  as 
follows,  to  wit : 

After  returning  to  the  Jackson  House, 
several  of  our  members  urged  the  Judge 
to  disclose  his  designs  for  our  action,  and 
when  we  had  seated  ourselves  around  for 
that  purpose,  he  drew  forth  a  paper,  and 
then  vainly  searched  for  his  spectacles  in 
his  pockets.  Thinking  they  were  lost,  he 
at  last  exclaimed,  "  Is  it  possible  I  have 
lost  my  spectacles  !  " 

I  told  him  to  never  mind  it ;  for  he 
ought  to  be  furnished  with  something 
better  than  silver  spectacles. 

"  Silver  !  "  said  he.  "  Indeed  they  were 
gold  ;  fine  guinea  gold." 

Several  of  us  shouted,  "  O,  Judge  ! "  and 
lie  replied,  "  Indeed  they  were  ;  they  cost 
me  twenty  dollars." 

Some  of  us  said,  "  O,  Judge !  twenty 
dollars ! " 


"Well,  no  matter,"  said  he,  "I'll  get 
another  pair ;  but  I  cannot  read  this 
paper." 

"  Please  you,"  said  Mr.  Prescott,  "  I 
found  a  pair  of  spectacles  in  the  entrance 
to  the  Temple.  Will  you  try  them  ?  "  and 
he  handed  them  over  to  the  Judge.  We 
all  recognized  them  as  his,  and  they  were 
silver,  and  had  been  broken  and  tied  on 
one  side. 

When  the  Judge  put  them  on,  he  said, 
"  Why,  most  remarkable — why,  I  can  see 
with  these  old  things  first  rate."  We  all 
assured  him  they  must  indeed  be  his  own, 
but  he  said,  "  Of  course  they  are  since  I 
have  them  on.  Mine  had  a  flaw  on  one 
side,  and  might  easily  be  taken  by  a 
casual  observer  to  be  the  same." 

"  Now,  Judge,"  said  Prescott,  "  I  am 
sure  these  are  your  original  spectacles,  and 
you  are  so  much  of  a  philosopher,  you 
don't  often  notice  the  things  you  wear. 
You  are  like  Governor  Walpole  of  Ken- 
tucky, who  did  not  know  his  boots  from 
his  wife's  slippers." 

"  Well,  I  confess  it  is  somewhat  so,"  said 
the  Judge,  being  anxious  to  change  the 
subject.  "  What  did  you  know  of  Gov- 
ernor Walpole  ?  He  was  one  of  my  most 
intimate  friends." 

"  Governor  Walpole,"  said  Prescott ;  "  I 
knew  him  to  be  a  scholar  and  a  gentleman 
of  the  first  water,  and  he  was  undoubtedly 
one  of  the  finest  linguists  in  the  coun- 
try." 

"  He  was  that,"  said  the  Judge,  "  and  I 
believe  he  was  one  of  the  most  versatile 
men  I  ever  saw.  Indeed,  they  were  a 
talented  family.  His  father  and  my  father 
both  graduated  in  the  same  college." 

As  he  was  going  on  in  this  style,  we 
began  laughing,  for  we  were  posted  in  the 
matter. 

"  Now,  Judge,"  said  Prescott,  "  why  do 
you  make  such  pretensions  ?  I  do  not 
know  any  Governor  Walpole  ;  there  never 
was  any  Governor  Walpole.  I  was  only 
drawing  you  out." 

When  we  ceased  laughing,  the  Judge 
said,  "  Indeed  there  was  a  Governor  Wal- 
pole, and  I  knew  him. — No,  I  mean  Gov- 
ernor Waldo. — Yes,  Governor  Waldo  ;  " 
and  he  afcerwards  adhered  to  it  that  there 
was  a  Governor  Waldo.  That  is  the  man- 
ner in  which  he  would  always  get  out. 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


25 


"We  could  never  make  him  own  up  to  the 
falsity  of  his  great  pretensions. 

"We  then  arranged  our  business,  and,  as 
the  Prince  of  Wales'  procession  was  to 
take  place  on  the  day  following,  you  may 
well  imagine  the  anxiety  we  had  in  mak- 
ing the  necessary  preparations.  Previous 
to  this  I  was  to  start  out  on  my  business, 
with  reference  to  the  action  of  Floyd  and 
Thompson.  This  began  business  for  me 
early  on  the  following  morning,  while 
nearly  all  our  members  were  allotted  to 
their  various  parts. 

Accordingly,  as  soon  as  it  was  daylight, 
I  went  to  the  Treasury  to  witness  the 
result.  I  had,  in  fact,  barely  stationed 
myself,  when  Floyd  and  Thompson  came 
up  and  halted  even  as  the  latter  spoke. 

"  Hold,  Floyd,  I  would  reflect  awhile." 

Floyd.— ■"  Wherefore  ?  " 

Thompson. — "  If  here  were  sentinels,  as 
are  in  France,  passing  to  and  fro  to  guard 
the  nation's  gold :  or,  if  here  were  a  dog 
— even  a  dog  to  watch  it,  some  excuse 
could  I  find  warranting  this  deep  design. 
But  it  is  like  despoiling  innocence  un- 
armed, with  arms  equipped  for  thunder- 
bolts.    I  do  revolt  at  it." 

"  Ha,  ha !  read  that,"  said  Floyd,  and 
he  pointed  to  an  inscription  above  the 
entrance,  which  was 

"  THE   PROPERTY  OF   THE   PEOPLE." 

Thomj)son. — "  And  I  behold  in  that 
short  sentence  so  much  eloquence,  that  I 
scarcely  value  less  my  own  approaching 
tears,  than  the  boon  you  promise.  That  is 
the  nation's  only  guard,  and  must  we 
murder  it  ?  " 

Floyd. — "  And  such  a  guard  !  Why,  sir, 
only  a  nation  of  fools  would  have  such  a 
guard.  It  is  a  safeguard  while  we  are  all 
fools,  but  only  while  we  are  fools.  I  tell 
you,  Thompson,  babies  believe  the  devil's 
in  the  corner,  and  so  behave  themselves ; 
but  we  are  men." 

Thompson. — "  Not  fear,  dear  Floyd,  is 
my  incentive  to  halt  awhile,  but  the 
thought  that  I  do  betray  a  trust  most 
sacred — to  rob  my  countrymen." 

Floyd— •"  Rob  !  Ha,  ha,  ha  !  Tell  me 
a  ship  at  sea  is  foundering,  and  that  he 
who  swims  away  with  its  gold  to  save  the 
gold  is  a  robber !  Our  nation  totters  to 
the  base ;  it  sinks  forever !  Speed  us, 
then,  before  the  ruin  comes,  to  save  that 
which  will  found  another  on  its  ruins ! 
Out  with  its  coffers,  god-like  be  our 
deeds,  that  from  this  awful  threatening, 
on  the  part  of  a  plebeian  race,  we  bring 
eternal  harmony.  Shall  not  we,  who  have, 
by  Providence,  been  placed  in  the  door- 
way to  our  own  and  to  the  nation's  glory, 


walk  in  ?  or  hesitate  till  the  mighty  trust 
evade  our  grasp,  and  worth  despoiled  for- 
ever censure  our  low-born  conduct  ?  " 

Thompson. — "  But  suppose  this  whole 
thing  miscarry  ?  " 

Floyd. — "  It  cannot.  It  cannot.  But 
suppose  it  does,  wdiat  of  it  ?  Every  way 
is  our  gain.     Wealth  at  least  is  ours." 

Thompson. — "  But  still,  the  trust  be- 
trayed ?  " 

Floyd. — "  Why,  see  what  Cobb  has  done 
— to  you  the  key3  and  management.  Now 
I  take  it,  if  I  am  not  a  fool,  that  Cobb  is 
Secretary  of  this  Treasury,  and  yet  he  is 
fishing  in  the  streets." 

Thompson. — "  And  yet  no  other  act  is 
done  for  benefit  of  the  South  ?  " 

Floyd. — "  Nothing  done  !  Now,  entre 
nous,  as  I  am  Secretary  of  War,  I  have, 
within  two  days,  transferred  one  hundred 
and  fifteen  thousand  rifles  and  muskets 
from  the  Springfield  Armory  and  Water- 
vliet  Arsenal  to  five  depositories  in  the 
South.*  Governor  Gist,  of  South  Carolina, 
has  called  together  his  State  legislature, 
and  hath  already  advised  the  organization 
of  an  army.   Is  this  not  something  done  ? " 

Thompson. — "  I  do  remember  now,  Cobb 
said  not  a  dollar  shall  remain  in  the 
National  Treasury  when  he  goes  out." 

Floyd. — "  And  yet  you  would  parley 
even  at  the  door-way.  Come,  I  pray.  I 
want  the  bonds." 

Thompson.' — "  And  shall  we  still  remain 
in  Washington  ?  " 

Floyd. — "  Amongst  our  friends,  of  course. 
Let  us  haste ;  this  day  is  the  Prince  of 
Wales'  procession,  and  so,  while  fools  to 
Britons  bow,  we'll  count  the  gains  the 
fools  have  hoarded,  that  they  remember 
now  our  nation  dies. 

'Our  pageantry  is  gone.    We've  naught  to  love, 
Yet,  here,  alas !  a  foreigner's  a  dove. 
Come,  Briton,  come — a  country  loving  you 
To  human  rights  itself  cannot  be  true.' " 

After  they  had  thus  spoken,  they  entered 
the  Treasury,  and  I  felt  sure  now  that  the 
national  funds  were  indeed  at  the  mercy 
of  robbers.  I  was  about  to  turn  away 
from  the  scene,  when  that  very  suspicious- 
looking  woman,  Madame  Ponchard,  was 
seen  approaching.  She  seemed  in  trouble ; 
wrapped  in  profound  thought ;  not  notic- 
ing me  until  she  was  within  a  few  yards. 
Whereupon  she  looked  to  the  ground,  as 
if  searching  for  something,  and  then  turned 
and  retraced  her  course,  joining,  a  little 
distance  off,  the  dark- eyed  Orsini. 

Thus  the  great  cloud  of  the  rebellion  was 
sending  forth  its  scouts,  its  vultures,  to 
nibble  at  the  feet  and  envelop  a  great, 

*  This  was  afterwards  boasted  of  in  the  Richmond 
papers. 


20 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


unguarded,  Christian  people,  and  there 
was  no  law,  no  arm  of  power  to  stay  the 
approaching  scourge.  We  could  but  look 
at  the  great  fabric  and  weep,  as  we  stood 
so  powerless  to  do  it  service. 

Thus  was  I  waiting,  reflecting,  and 
watching,  when  who  should  approach,  but 
the  Prince  of  Wales,  and  the  Duke  of  New 
Castle,  for  their  morning  walk.  When 
they  had  approached  near  me,  they  asked 
what  building  that  was  ?  I  told  them  it 
was  the  National  Treasury.  The  Duke 
said,  "  What !  has  this  country  a  Treas- 
ury ? "  And  the  Prince  said,  "  It  seems 
so,  and  without  soldiers  to  guard  it.  Let 
us  halt  a  while  and  contemplate  the  nov- 
elty of  this  sign : 

'  THE   PROPERTY   OF   THE   PEOPLE.'  " 

"  Quite  interesting,  is'nt  it  ?  "  said  the 
Duke. 

'•  Do  you  know,  my  lord,"  quoth  the 
Prince,  "  that  that  sentence  is  the  only 
thing  of  all  I  have  seen  in  this  country, 
that  I  admire  ?  " 

"  Really,  I  think  it  has  some  signifi- 
cance. Ah  !  but  what  significance  ;  that's 
the  puzzle — whether  this  property  is 
all  the  people  have  got,  and  needs  this 
sentence  to  prove  the  title,  or  whether  this 
sentence  is  to  show  foreigners  the  extent 
of  American  enterprise,  which  is  to  say, 
this  young  nation  has  already  saved 
enough  to  buy  one  house." 

"  My  lord  is  jovial,"  said  the  Prince. 
"  As  for  myself,  I  feel  serious.  Do  you 
know  there  is  not  another  country  in  the 
world  that  leaves  unguarded  its  national 
bureaus  ?  And  this  it  is  touches  me.  It 
is  a  kind  of  honor  I  looked  not  for  ;  it  is 
a  glory  outmatching  all  the  armies  of 
France;  it  is  an  inward  strength  and  full 
composure  ;  like  Hercules,  unmoved  when 
the  gods  at  common  omens  trembled." 

"  Indeed,  so,"  said  the  Duke.  "  Why, 
you  are  a  metaphysician.  Now,  I  took  it, 
the  American  boast  was  a  fireman's  parade, 
wide  streets,  and  wooden  houses.  This 
building  is  something,  to  be  sure ;  but 
where  is  that  score  of  botanical  gardens 
and  botanical  colleges — those  zoological 
gardens,  and  their  attendant  lectures — 
where  are  those  mineralogical  and  geo- 
logical colleges,  with  their  gratuitous  in- 
struction ?  where  the  astronomical  observ- 
atories for  the  instruction  of  ambitious 
young  men  ?  And  this  is  the  nation's 
Capital !  I  declare,  it  is  very  amusing, 
very  amusing  indeed  !  ''  "I  say,  my  lord," 
said  the  Prince,  "  this  nation  is  very 
young ;  it  boasts  that  it  is  very  young." 
"  Ah,  but  that  is  not  so  ;  only  young  in 
wisdom.     It  is  nearly  as  old  and  nearly  as 


powerful  as  it  ever  will  be.  It  has  no 
noble  type  of  character.  For  the  lack  of 
the  places  of  instruction  I  spoke  of,  in  its 
National  Capital,  there  is  no  place  for  the 
wealthy  and  intelligent  to  assemble  to  form 
a  model  of  Americanism  ;  and,  in  conse- 
quence, those  classes  fly  to  Europe  to 
unmake  their  nativeism  by  a  smack  of 
foreign  airs."  "But  how,  my  lord,  is  it, 
possible  to  have  these  great  public  insti- 
tutions in  a  republic  ?  The  places  to  be 
filled,  would  open  only  a  new  source  for 
politicians."  "  Very  wisely  said,"  replied 
the  Duke,  "  very  wisely  said  ;  and  hence 
it  is,  a  republican  government  can  never 
raise  the  common  people  to  a  high  state 
of  civilization.  The  more  elevated  are 
constantly  pulled  down  to  the  level  of  the 
great  multitude.  Nature  gives  genius  to 
make  it  exclusive  ;  but  a  republic  will  not 
sustain  that  which  nature  has  designed 
should  mark  the  difference.  Hence  it  is, 
genius  and  refinement  in  this  country  is 
burdened  with  the  contact  of  ignorance 
and  slothfulncss ;  it  feels  the  burden  ;  it 
inwardly  revolts  at  it.  And  yet,  a  day 
since,  did  I  hear  some  Southern  gentlemen 
say  that  the  national  affairs  are  gradually 
falling  into  the  hands  of  the  common 
mob,  and  that  the  more  elevated  are 
determined  to  cut  loose,  and  establish  the 
supremacy  they  are  entitled  to.  Add  to 
this  the  fact  that  American  offices  pay  just 
enough  salary  to  attract  common  jockeys, 
and.  not  enough  to  meet  the  demands  of 
the  great,  and  good,  and  you  have  the 
weakness  of  the  Government  in  a  nut- 
shell." Now,  as  it  so  happened,  while  he 
was  speaking,  Floyd  and  Thompson 
emerged  from  the  Treasury  and  concealed 
themselves  behind  the  pillars  thereof,  to 
listen.  "  If  not  now,"  continued  the  Duke, 
"  it  will  soon  follow  that  the  men  who 
come  into  power,  will  be  little  better  than 
highway  robbers.  They  will  no  more 
regard  that  inscription  on  the  Treasury, 
than  they  would  the  morning  dew.  It 
was  so  in  the  Roman  republic ;  men  even 
violated  their  solemn  oaths,  and  often 
took  paltry  bribes  as  an  equivalent  for 
their  influence.  Finally,  they  became 
themselves  too  great  a  corruption  to  live 
together;  and  there  was  a  general  scramble 
for  the  spoils,  in  the  pretence,  and  in  fact, 
of  the  necessity  of  founding  another  gov- 
ernment." Thompson  knew  the  Duke, 
and  hated  him,  because  he  was  English, 
and  because  he  and  the  Prince  refused  to 
visit  Richmond,  on  account  of  it  being  in 
a  slave  State,  and  he  spoke  to  Floyd  in  a 
low  voice,  saying,  "  O,  I  am  cursed  !  O,  I 
am  cursed  !  Heaven  has  sent  my  enemy 
to  chastise  me.     Had  I  godliness  in  my 


LOVE  AX  I)  WAR  IX   LS60. 


27 


cause,  I  would  rush  upon  him  and  give 
him  a  good  thrashing  These  monarchical 
prophecies  oi  our  country  are  of  long 
standing,  and  it  makes  my  blood  boil  to 
see,  alas,  that  they  are  true."  "  It  is  true, 
a-  you  say,"  continued  the  Duke,  "the 
things  the  Americans  boast  of  are  all 
foolish  ;  ami  the  honor  and  honesty  you 
infer  from  the  absence  of  soldiers,  is 
indeed  something  worth  while.  That 
Americans  never  steal,  and  that  Ameri- 
cans, in  business  habits,  never  tell  un- 
truths, are  their  only  distinctions  that  are 
good."  "And  they  are  good  things,  in- 
deed," said  the  Prince.  '"Such  i^  the 
boast  of  other  nations — Jews,  of  gold; 
French,  of  fun  ;  Britons,  of  banks,  and 
Americans  of  honesty."  "  Tis  well,  in- 
deed," replied  the  Duke,  '*  that  my  lord 
of  Renfrew  cannot  be  heard  in  this  coun- 
try ;  he'd  make  the  people  vain." 

Thompson. — "  Great  heavens  !  Must  I, 
must  I  bear  this  !  " 

Floyd.—"  Sh  !  sh  !  " 

Prhn-e. — "  American  citizen  !  Glory  in 
the  name  !  it  has  honor,  justice,  peace, 
and  plenty  ;  it  is  guardian  to  the  needy  of 
other  countries  ;  it  is  the  trust  of  man  as 
man ;  it  is  the  banishment  of  the  arms 
that  menace  thieves,  and  the  welcome  of 
fellowship  to  all  men.  Glory  be  to  thee, 
O  '.  American  citizen  !  " 

Thompson. — "I  cannot,  will  not  bear 
this!" 

Floyd. — '■  Sh  !  sh  !  they  go  ;  hear  me." 

Duke. — ••*  And  yet  these  things  will  pass 
away.  Envious  politicians  will  break 
through  this  theme  of  glory  ;  they,  and 
they  alone  have  despoiled  every  nation 
since  the  foundation  of  the  world,  and 
they  will  here.  Even  at  present  is  the 
deepest  infamy  accused  to  the  party  in 
power." 

Prince. — "No,  no!  I  pray,  don't  per- 
suade me  so.  Let  me  leave  with  the 
thought  that  yonder  inscription  is  glory, 
the  most  hallowe  1  of  all  my  memories  of 
this  people  ;  to  think  that  I,  with  my  own 
eyes  saw  a  nation  without  soldiers;  saw 
people  that  truste  1  one  another.  And  yet 
this  vow  I  nnk;'  :  it'  ever  Americans  dis- 
prove their  present  honesty,  no  joy  more 
will  I  take  in  seeing  the  face  of  man." 
When  he  had  finished  speaking,  he  and 
the  Duke  went  their  way,  the  latter 
admonishing  him  that  it  was  Friday 
morning,  and  that  whatever  was  done  on 
that  day,  would  prove  a  failure;  alluding 
to  the  vow  the  Prince  had  made.  Thomp- 
son thought  he  meant  Floyd  and  Thomp- 
son's deeds,  and  he  walked  out  and  said 
to  Floyd,  "  You  see,  we  are  damned  in  the 
verv  onset.     A  base  robberv  !  " 


Floyd, — "  How  now  >.  Have  I  not  said 
our  ship  of  state  is  wrecked,  and  that  we 
are  merely  saving  that  which  would  other- 
wise be  lost  '.  Why,  Thompson,  you  your- 
self did  first  propose  to  Cobb  to  take  this 
stuff  away."  He  held  up  gold  bags  and 
paper  bonds.  "  Is  it  better  we  throw  it  in 
the  river,  or  leave  it  here  to  burn,  or  take 
it  to  our  homes,  or  fly  with  it  to  Canada, 
or  pout  and  grieve  that  we  took  it  at  all  '. 
Methought  the  founders  of  a  new  nation 
had  more  pluck.  Is  not  the  state  dead  ? 
And  —  we  the  trustees  :'  "  "  So  the  state  is 
dead,"  said  Thompson;  "the  state  was 
our  mother,  and  we  have  rifled  our  dead 
mother's  pockets." 

Floyd. — "  Why,  now,  what  frame  of 
mind  is  this  ?  Must  we  stand  and  parley 
till  our  very  actions  give  warning  to  every 
passer-by?  Come,  let  us  go  —  ;"  he 
turned  tin  n  to  look  if  any  one  was  near, 
the  while  holding  on  to  Thompson's  sleeve, 
ami  he  saw  me,  and  said,  "  Hallo,  fellow  ! 
what  are  you  doing  here  ?  "  "  Nothing," 
said  I,  "  only  halted  to  hear  the  Prince 
and  the  Duke."  "  Scoundrel  !  "  said  he, 
"  you  lie,  you  are  an  eaves-dropper,"  put- 
ting therein  a  fierce  oath.  Now  I  had,  all 
the  while  the  Prince  and  Duke  were  talk- 
ing, been  seated  on  the  curb-stone,  making 
believe  my  boot  hurt  me,  so  I  could  hear 
what  was  said.  Floyd  and  Thompson 
came  up  to  me,  even  while  I  sat  there, 
and  the  former  caught  me  by  the  collar. 
•'What  would  you  do?"  said  I,  rising; 
but  Thompson  caught  me  too,  and  I  strug- 
gled to  get  away,  fearing  bodily  harm. 
"  You'll  do  no  more  harm  to  us  !  "  said 
Floyd,  and  he  swore  again.  They  then 
pulled  me  over  backward,  my  feet  catch- 
ing against  the  curb-stone.  "  You  dog  !  " 
he  continued,  '■  I  know  you,  you  are  pok- 
ing your  nose  into  everything."  But  while 
he  was  speaking,  I  seized  Thompson  by 
the  throat  with  one  hand,  and  shook  him. 
He  was  very  cowardly  and  broke  loose, 
standing  aloof;  and  Floyd  instantly  drew 
a  knife. 

I  had,  in  the  meantime,  worked  myself 
into  a  better  position,  and  now  sprung  up. 
He  was  frightened — not  daring  to  strike 
me  with  his  knife. 

"  Sir,"  said  he.  "  we  are  more  than  two 
hundred  strong.  Before  two  hours  hence, 
you  shall  be  a  marked  man  ;  consider  this 
as  you  please."  I  made  no  reply,  and  they 
started  to  walk  off",  and  again  he  retorted, 
"  You  cannot  arrest  us.  The  very  officers 
to  whom  you  would  apply,  will  put  the 
seal  on  you." 

I  stood  there  waiting  for  some  tine,  not 
making  any  answer,  and,  in  fact,  until 
they  had  disappeared.     On  my  way  back. 


I 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1800. 


29 


I  stopped  at  the  market-place,  near  the 
outer  posts  thereof,  where  I  heard  a  voice 
which  I  recognized  as  the  Judge's.  On 
drawing  still  nearer,  I  beheld  him  alone, 
with  flowers  uplifted,  evidently  contem- 
plating a  rich  interview  with  his  Victoria. 
In  view  of  the  novelty  of  the  scene — to  see 
and  hear  the  Judge,  with  such  a  bouquet, 
and  by  himself  rehearsing — I  halted  a 
moment. 

"  Beautiful !  "  said  he,  musing  with  a 
low  voice,  "  beautiful  flowers  !  Thou  shalt 
deck  a  fairy  fonn.  Thou  shalt  grace  a 
queen.  Behold  the  lily  and  the  rose,  so 
fair,  so  sweet,  outmatched  by  the  lady  I 
love  !  Aye,  ye  precious  little  diadems  ! 
precious  warblers  on  that  bosom  !  O  ! 
what  tides  in  my  emotion  rise  !  Beautiful 
Victoria  !  Victoria  !  My  angel  of  glory  ! 
Daisies,  lily  blossoms  that  warble  on  such 
fairylike  bosoms,  do  I  love  thee  ?  Oh 
thou  fairest  of  the  fair,  behold  the  tender- 
ness of  these !  inhale  their  fragrance  !  com- 
pare their  exquisiteness  with  my  fond  ap- 
preciation !  Old,  thou  hast  made  me  a 
child  !  This  heart,  pure  as  adamant — it 
is  thine,  and  thine  only.  Ah,  dearest ! 
thou  hast  fear  of  my  quality,  and  dreamest 
that  the  tender  of  my  love  is  but  a 
dream  !  Dream  on,  blessed  angel,  these 
blessed  flowers  shall  make  thee  dream 
forever !  Come,  sweet  flowers  !  envious 
mortals  !  thou  shalt  play  at  the  lips— press 
on  the  heaving  bosom !  Oh,  that  the 
glory  of  coming  hours  were  here  1  Now, 
let  me  rehearse  : — 

" '  Madame,  my  carriage  waits  at  the 
door.  Will  you  accompany  us  to  the  pro- 
cession ?  We  have  a  place.  Oh  !  ah  ! 
shall  I  have  the  honor  ?  Will  you  sit  by 
me  ?  Ah  !  allow  me,  my  dear  !  Here  are 
flowers.  Take  them,  their  natural  perfume 
evaporating  toward  the  great  expanse 
above,  like  the  lone  heart  never  captured, 
giving  love  to  the  imagery  of  an  unheard 
of  beauty  !  Take  them,  I  pray  you  !  feed 
upon  their  sweetness;  no  age  is  there. 
Some  of  them  are  curled  and  wilted  ;  but, 
ah  !  the  perfume  is  even  as  sweet  as  from 
the  infant  bud.  Ah,  indeed,  my  lady 
faints ;  poor  child  !  The  fatal  deed  is 
done ;  the  battle  fought  and  won  !  Be 
happy,  oh  thou,  my  dearest  dear  ! '  " 

As  he  was  still  rehearsing  to  himself 
and  examining  his  flowers,  and  alternately 
bowing  and  cramming  them  to  his  nose, 
and  then  viewing  them,  I  was  myself  so 
much  agitated,  that  it  was  almost  impos- 
sible to  remain  silent.  On  looking  over  the 
way,  I  saw  Miss  Lucy  Tabiatha  Stimpkins 
approaching  directly  toward  the  Judge, 
and  I  saw  too,  that  she  beheld  him  in  his 
ecstasies  with  the  flowers.     Behind  her, 


and  at  a  little  distance,  came  Professor 
Jackson. 

When  they  drew  near,  she  bid  the  Pro- 
fessor halt.  The  moment  that  she  had 
approached  near  enough  to  the  Judge  to 
hear  his  folly,  and  see  his  antics,  it  was 
evident  that  she  was  enraged.  After  wit- 
nessing it  a  short  time,  she  suddenly  stood 
before  him,  face  to  face. 

"  Is  it  possible  ?  "  said  she.  "  Judge 
Francis  Underbill — a  man  of  your  years  ?  " 
He  started  up,  confounded. 

"  I  am  but  a  boy,  madam,"  said  he. 
"  My  hairs  are  white,  it  is  true  ;  but  my 
heart  is  like  an  infant's." 

"  I  venture  to  say,"  said  she,  "  if  there 
be  war,  your  age  would  exempt  you  with- 
out a  jury.  More  should  you  think  of 
your  grave  than  of  a  fair  dulcinea." 

"More  the  sexton  seek, 
Than  this  maiden  meek,"' 

said  the  Judge.  "  Nay,  Miss  Lucy,  you  in- 
terpret from  the  frozen  cinders  of  your  own 
impulses.  But  who  that  has  felt  the  genial 
flame,  would  not,  for  a  single  moment's 
glorious  ease  with  the  lady  of  hia  love, 
confront  the  cold  philosophy  of  a  frowning 
world.  Oh  madam  !  I  mean  Miss  Lucy 
Tabiatha,  when  you  feel  and  know  the 
fervency  of  a  dear  sweetheart ;  to  know 
that  its  recipient  is  touched  by  the  same 
chord  of  matchless  tenderness,  and  hath 
but  craped  this  mortal  part  to  make  one's 
self  reveal  exquisite  joys  within  its  com- 
pliment— too  much,  too  much  for  the 
nerves  to  bear — Ah !  you  smile  Miss  Stimp- 
kins !  Question  you  my  love  ?  If  ever  man 
for  woman  vowed,  then  I  to  mine  am  resi- 
dent alway.  Age  is  fire,  and  I  have  age, 
hence,  I  am  warm ;  and  these  [touching 
the  flowers]  gentle  emblems  shall  decorate 
her  matchless  beauty ;  "  and  thus  saying, 
he  walked  away,  not  giving  her  a  chance 
to  answer. 

Miss  Lucy  was  discomfited  at  this  sud- 
den departure,  and  immediately  addressed 
her  consort,  Professor  Jackson.  "  Profes- 
sor Jackson,"  said  she,  turning  sharply  to- 
wards him,  "  heard  you  that  attack  upon 
woman's  rights  ?  Will  you  stand  and 
hear  me  vanquished  ?  What  right  has  he 
to  meddle  with  the  fundamental  principles 
of  human  love  ?  Where  is  the  voice  of  his 
fair  one  ?    Is  there  none  to  warn  her  ?  " 

The  Professor  suggested  that  there 
might  be  some  misunderstanding  about 
the  congeniality  of  the  two  persons. 

"  No,  sir.  No,  sir,"  she  replied.  "  I 
neglected  to  be  true  to  the  rules  of  my 
own  doctrine.  I  let  my  feelings  move  me. 
I  was  overcome.  But  yet,  I  shall  vanquish 
him.      I  shall  show  him    these   boasted 


30 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER. 


affections  are  but  promptings  of  sin.  I 
shall  teach  his  fair  one  to  rely  only  on 
moral  and  intellectual  principles.  I  shall 
teach  her  that  this  thing  called  love,  is  all 
moonshine.  Professor,  I  have  more  ad- 
vantages than  he  ever  dreamed  of.  Talk 
of  reclining  on  bosoms,  I  shall  recline  on 
the  Prince  of  Wales,  and  make  my  enemies 
bite  their  fingers  ;  for  I  have  enemies — so 
had  Bonaparte,  and  so  had  Caesar."  "  It 
is  so,"  said  the  Professor,  and  they  left 
together. 

I  had  indeed  been  anxious  to  come 
forth  and  personally  witness  the  past  con- 
test; but,  having  my  clothes  soiled  as 
before  mentioned,  and  being  anxious  to 
return  for  a  change,  I  waited  a  moment  so 
as  not  to  be  seen  in  my  present  condition. 
Scarcely  was  quiet  restored,  when  I  heard 
a  noise  as  of  some  one  weeping,  and  turn- 
ing to  look,  I  beheld  there  the  identical 
man  who  had  been  conversing  with  Ann 
Underbill,  on  the  previous  occasion.  He 
was  leaning  against  the  Jefferson  Arch- 
way, twirling  his  little  walking-stick  in 
his  fingers,  his  head  leaned  backwards, 
and  the  heel  of  his  boot  playing  upon  the 
other.  Half-way  between  song  and  speech, 
he  then  turned  and  went  on  in  this 
fashion  : 

"  I  will  away,  away  to  th1  wild  lagoons 
Of  my  own  dear  native  State, 
The  jeers  I've  suffered  and  the  scoffs  endured 
From  these  people  I'll  there  relate. 
Glorious  and  free, 
Happy  in  liberty, 
I  will  away,  away  to  th'  wild  lasooDs 
Of  my  own  dear  native  State." 

Diamonds  glittered  on  his  shirt  bosom 
and  on  his  fingers ;  he  seemed  like  the 
kind,  intelligent,  and  darling  son  of  more 
than  common  folks.  On  the  instant  I 
regarded  him  as  a  rival,  but  when  I  beheld 
the  deep  solemness  of  his  nature,  I  was 
won  over  to  him.  "  My  friend,"  said  I, 
"  I  am  moved  with  pity  to  the  strangeness 
of  this  melancholy."  He  looked  up,  and 
when  we  faced  each  other,  we  recognized 
that  we  were  brothers  of  the  same  society, 
though  we  had  never  before  offered  each 
other  any  salutation.  "  My  brother,"  said 
he,  "  I  am  cast  down.  Such  things  run 
through  my  brain  as  would  move  a  world 
to  tears.  I  see  the  progress  of  events,  and 
I  know  that  all  the  glory  and  peace  of  our 
country  is  at  end.  Woe  on  me  that  I  have 
lived  in  this  scourging  period."  I  took 
his  hand  and  he  rose  up.  "  Though 
nations  fall,"  said  I,  "and  religions  perish 
in  envious  broil,  one  thing  alone  will  ever 
endure,  whereby  men  can  faithfully  rely 
upon  the  confidence  of  each  other.  Tell 
me,  brother,  what  is  this  that  wears  so 
heavily  on  your  mind." 


"  This  is  the  substance  of  my  sorrowing," 
said  he  :  "  Peace  and  respect  no  South- 
erner now  has,  even  in  the  Capital  of  this 
great  country.  Everywhere  am  I  pushed 
into  the  pitiless  storm ;  abuse  is  heaped 
upon  me  alway.  This  is  a  deeper  grief 
than  you  premise.  When  first  I  came  to 
Washington,  I  loved  it  as  a  Northern 
romance,  and,  much  in  hope,  my  joys  were 
lifted  up.  Cares  of  home  I  banished,  and 
the  luxury  of  ease  I  sought  out.  In  all 
cpneourse,  I  made  free  the  confidence  I 
did  expect  from  others,  oft  dilating  with 
right  good  will  on  my  own  good  fortune. 
For,  till  now  I  called  it  good,  and  now  I 
deem  it  not  so.  You  may  know,  my  dear 
sir,  I  was  born  of  wealthy  parents  in 
Louisiana.  My  father  was  the  largest 
planter  in  that  State ;  he  owned  eight 
hundred  slaves,  and  his  wealth  was  the 
chief  support  in  employment  of  three 
thousand  men.  When  I  was  a  boy  of 
fourteen,  my  mother  died.  My  father 
being  young,  married  again ;  but,  not 
content  with  a  woman  of  his  own  country, 
took  her  from  that  ever-renowned  land  of 
the  poets,  Italy.  She  was  my  tyrant ; 
often  after  she  came  did  I  wish  that  I  had 
never  been.  These  trials  were  not  un- 
known to  my  excellent  father.  He  had 
employed  for  my  instruction  the  best 
English  and  foreign  teachers,  who  became 
enamored  of  my  future  promise.  My 
father  desired  that  I  and  my  step-mother 
shoidd  be  kept  apart,  and  he  resolved  to 
take  her  to  Italy  to  live  ;  himself  to  spend 
his  time  equally  in  the  two  countries. 
When  he  acquainted  me  with  this  fact, 
my  sorrows  knew  no  bound.  My  father 
was  a  great  and  a  good  man  ;  he  was  all  I 
had  in  the  world  to  love ;  but  I  never  said 
him  nay.  No,  I  never  !  Accordingly, 
when  I  was  in  my  eighteenth  year,  my 
father  having  appointed  all  the  necessary 
officers  of  his  estate,  came  to  tell  me 
the  time  had  come.  The  last  words  he 
said  were :  '  More,  I  desire,  my  son,  that 
you  be  good  than  great.  The  good  may 
be  crossed  awhile,  but  in  time  their  joys 
will  be  eternal.'  He  folded  me  in  his 
arms — we  separated  !  I  never  saw  him 
since,  although  I  have  since  spent  many 
years  on  the  continent  of  Europe,  and 
searched  eveiy  conceivable  place  where 
such  a  man  could  live."  When  he  finished 
speaking,  the  tears  were  fast  falling  on  his 
cheeks,  and  I  knew  not  in  what  way  to 
comfort  him.  His  appearance  showed  me 
that  I  w7as  in  the  presence  of  no  ordinary 
man,  and  one  the  most  deserving  sympathy 
I  ever  met  with.  "  Indeed,"  said  I,  "  this 
is  worse  than  death  ;  for  it  is  the  burial 
of  aU  peace  of  mind.     Heard  you  never  a 


32 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


word  that  could  lead  to  the  whereabouts 
of  your  father  I  "  "  Several  limes,  and  in 
several  place-  were  they  Been  together, and 

even  for  two  or  three  years,  all  the  way 
from  Paris  to  Naples.  The  last  1  ever 
heard  was  that  they  left  Europe  for 
America,  more  than  lour  years  ago  ;  but 
whether  they  ever  arrived,  I  know  not.  ] 
returned  and  took  possession  of  the  estate, 
and  have  sine  managed  it.  Now  I  have 
more  grief  to  add  to  it,  it  is  the  threat- 
ened aspect  of  our  country.  As  I  said 
before,  I  had  only  a  father  to  love,  and 
when  I  lost  him,  I  lost  all.  You  must 
know,  sir,  the  position  I  was  enabled  (<> 
take  in  foreign  countries,  and  my  most 
remarkable  mission  threw  me  into  the  besf 
of  society,  where,  alas,  1  received  the 
seven  st  blows  ever  dealt  to  man.  People 
pitied  me  for  the  loss  of  my  father,  and 
while  they  pitied,  they  sneered  at  the 
slavery  in  my  native  land.  They  even 
insinuated  the  death  of  such  a  man  as  my 
father,  was  nothing  more  than  the  retribu- 
tive justice  of  heaven.  I  plead  my  coun- 
try's cause;  its  laws  excused  for  the  man- 
ner of  its  long-standing  custom,  estates 
descending  with  all  appurtenances,  and 
content  and  comfort  amongst  the  slaves  in 
full  requirement.  I  could  hear  such  goad- 
ing sympathy,  for  I  was  in  search  of  my 
lather,  until  I  had  exhausted  all  hope  of 
ever  seeing  him  more.  Then,  as  I  said,  1 
returned.  O  !  what  joys  unspeakable 
within  my  breast  when  again  I  reached 
my  native  land  !  All  the  castles  of  mon- 
archies, the  arts  and  sciences  of  Europe, 
and    all   the    elevated   and    noble   people 


whom  I  could  have  loved  but  for  their 
eternal  sneers  against  this  country  ;  all,  all 
I  now  gladly  exchanged  for  my  glorious 
land  of  liberty  !  I  settled  on  my  estate  in 
comparative  joy,  my  heart  so  full  that 
even  the  greatest  oJ  Abolitionists  would 
have  found  me  a  kind  and  honorable 
friend  ;  BO  great  was  my  joy  to  meet  my 
countrymen  ;  so  much  I  hated  the  noble 
families  of  France,  England  and  Italy  for 
their  abuse   to  me,  for  that    which  I   could 

not  help,  nor  were  the  cause.  But  my 
retirement  could  not  last  long;  my  ardent 
nature  sought  enjoyment.  1  came  here  to 
mingle  with  the  choicest  of  my  country- 
nun,  and  I  have  given  many  compliments. 
In  return  I  am  sneered  at  lor  the  slaves  I 
own  and  cannot  get  rid  of.  The  conflict 
of  two  terrible  parties  is  about  to  begin. 
Then  will  my  former  boasts  of  my  country 
in  Europe  be  turned  to  mockery."  "In- 
deed, sir.'*  said  I,  ••you  have  touched 
something  which  would  move  all  the 
honest  and  great  men  of  our  country."  I 
then  told  him  who  I  was,  that  I  had  been 
a  long  time  a  local  reporter,  but  that  hav- 
ing acquired  a  great  fortune,  I  now 
amused  myself  merely  going  about  taking 
notes,  which  I  rehearsed  before  the  courts 
of  Judge  Francis  Underbill.  "Underbill '." 
said  he,  and  I  told  him  yes.  lie  then  said. 
''I  have  heard  Miss  Ann  Underbill  speak 
highly  of  her  uncle,"  but  we  thereupon 
ceased  to  Speak  more  of  the  Lnderhills. 
nor  did  anything  pass  between  us  tending 
to  show  that  either  of  us  mistrusted  the 
rivalry,  and  we  then  returned  to  the  Jack- 
son House  to  get  ready  for  the  proces 


CHAPTER    IV 


I  told  Jenkins  I  longed  to  bear  more 
about  Mis-  Ann  Underbill,  but  still  I  was 
not  forgetful  of  the  fact  that  he  had 
neglected  to  tell  me  whether  he  himself 
married  her.  Said  he,  ;"  I  was  telling  you 
as  fast  as  I  could,  but  you  know  it  is 
the  fashion  of  modern  authors  to  tell 
anything  except  what  they  have  to  tell, 
in  order  to  make  a  book  as  large  as  pos- 
sible. I  know  one  author,"  he  con- 
tinued, "  who  took  up  the  waste  papers 
that  he  had  rejected  from  different  books 
of  his  own  writing,  and  when  he  saw  what 
a  huge  pile  there  was,  he  said  to  himself, 
'  what  shall  I  do  with  it  ? '     So,  wishing 


to  make  the  most  of  his  name,  he  si  nt 
them  to  a  publisher,  and  had  a  book  made 
of  them,  and  it  had  a  good  run.  Another 
man  took  his  cue  from  it,  got  a  history  of 
the  sewers  of  Paris,  and  some  police 
reports,  put  them  in  a  bag,  shook  them  up 
a  few  times,  then  took  the  papers  out  and 
paged  them  for  a  book.  Being  at  a  loss 
for  a  name  for  his  book,  he  turned  to  his 
publisher  and  said,  '  Ah  !  Les  Miserables,1 
and  then  he  went  home  determined  to 
abandon  the  project.  But  the  bookseller 
went  on  with  it,  and  it  is  said  that  many- 
people  read  it,  and  never  discovered  the 
joke." 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  I860. 


33 


"  "Well,"  said  I,  "  well,  Jenkins,  you  will 
not  try  any  such  game  as  that  ?  " 

11  Oh,  no  !  "  said  he,  "  but,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  Falstaff,  '  shall  I  not  take  mine 
ease  in  mine  own  book  ? '  " 

When  he  said  this,  I  made  no  further 
argument,  and  told  him  to  go  on  with  the 
transcription.  He  told  me  to  begin,  say- 
ing: 

"  Having  resolved  to  attend  the  pro- 
cession, and  fixed  upon  a  ride  with  Judge 
Francis,  I  immediately  repaired  to  the 
hotel  to  acquaint  him  with  the  determina- 
tion. The  Judge  at  once  ordered  out  his 
carriage  and  horses,  informing  us  that 
everybody  was  welcome  in  it.  It  was 
more  than  twenty  years  old,  and  so  were 
his  horses,  and  they  were  attended  to  by 
the  same  servant  that  had  done  so  for 
more  than  twenty  years.  The  carriage 
had  had  many  breakdowns,  and  was 
pieced  and  patched  in  every  side  and 
corner.  Many  painters  for  many  years  had 
painted  the  various  repaired  parts,  and  it 
was  of  many  colors.  Some  of  the  silver 
mounting  was  gone,  some  was  loose  ;  and 
the  broken  bolts  had  been  replaced  with 
monstrous  nails,  splitting  the  boards 
here  and  there,  and  bearing  many  gashes 
withal.  One  horse  had  turned  old  faster 
than  the  other ;  one  very  fat ;  the  other 
lean.  The  reins  and  harness  had  often 
broken  on  a  midnight  ride,  and  been  with 
aopes  made  whole.  The  cushions  of  the 
carriage  had  shed  their  stuffing,  and  the 
cover  thereof  had  been  gone  for  many 
years.  And  yet,  to  the  Judge,  the  whole 
concern  was  as  perfect  as  on  the -day  he 
bought  it.  It  had,  like  a  wife,  grown  old 
by  such  slow  degrees,  that  the  owner 
never  knew  it.  Every  part  of  it  too  had  a 
history  ;  the  Judge  could  talk  a  month  on 
its  scars.  He  would  say,  "  Behold  you 
that  dash  board  ?  What  a  rent  is  there  ! 
That  occurred  one  pleasant  day  in  June,  as 
I  was  going  in  company  with  Henry  Clay 
to  the  races,"  and  then  he  would  fashion 
out  how  it  was  done.  "  See  that  twisted 
bolt  ?  "  he  would  again  go  on.  "  Daniel 
Webster  had  often  urged  me  for  a  journey 
to  Mount  Vernon.  I  shall  never  forget 
that  memorable  day,"  and  so  he  con- 
tinued ;  in  all  probability  not  the  quarter 
part  was  true.  But  he  boasted  so  much 
of  his  great  associations,  that  he  at  last 
believed  them  himself.  So,  when  We  had 
expressed  our  desire  to  go  to  the  proces- 
sion with  him,  not  knowing  he  was  to 
have  many  ladies,  and  when  the  carriage 
was  ready,  and  while  the  Judge  was  yet 
in  the  hotel,  not  less  than  eight  of  our 
court  members  climbed  into  it,  determined 
to  have  at  least  one  more  good  time, 
3 


whether  there  be  war  or  not.  Now,  while 
we  were  climbing  in,  there  came  by  that 
everlasting  Mrs.  Stimpkins  and  Professor 
Jackson,  and  they  thought  it  was  some 
public  conveyance,  and  that  they  might 
avail  themselves  of  the  opportunity  of 
riding  to  the  procession,  where  they  could 
then  dismount.  Accordingly,  she  jumped 
upon  the  steps  of  the  carriage,  saying,  "  I 
think  a  gentleman  would  at  least  give  a 
seat  to  a  lady ! "  and  we  all  cried  out, 
"  Certainly,  madam,  come  in !  "  and  in 
she  came,  followed  by  Jackson,  the  gifted 
Professor.  We  were  all  wondering  in  our 
own  minds  wrhat  the  Judge  would  say 
when  he  came  out  and  beheld  no  place 
for  himself.  What  was  our  astonishment, 
however,  at  seeing  him  at  last,  with  Vickey 
and  Ann  Underhill  on  each  arm,  followed 
by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edge.  "  Ah  !  "  said  the 
Judge,  "  nearly  full  !  "  and  he  smiled  ; 
for  there  was  not  room  for  the  smallest 
thing  more  to  get  in.  "  Quite  full,  sir  !  " 
shouted  Mrs.  Lucy  Tabiatha  Stimpkins ; 
"  you  can't  get  in  here,  sir !  Go  ahead, 
driver,  crack  up  your  old  skeletons ! " 
We,  who  had  taken  first  possession  of  the 
carriage,  were  about  to  leap  out,  and  yet 
trying  to  smother  our  laughter ;  but  the 
Judge  was  too  clever  for  us,  and  he  said, 
"  Keep  your  seats,  I  pray  ;  I  was  never  so 
pleased  in  my  life.  Here  comes  another 
carriage  ;  we  are  provided."  He  bowed 
and  laughed  heartily,  and  so  did  many 
of  us.  In  a  few  minutes,  he  and  his  party 
were  in  another  carriage,  and  we  were 
started  on.  "  I  told  you,  Professor,"  said 
Mrs.  Lucy,  "  that  the  time  would  come 
when  I  should  vanquish  that  Judge.  He 
fancied  he  could  overcome  me  on  all  oc- 
casions as  he  did  at  the  market-place." 
Thus  she  went  on  for  some  time,  but  we 
were  brought  to  a  change  by  meeting 
Judge  Walker,  who  motioned  to  me  that 
he  would  speak  a  word.  So  he  got  en 
the  step  of  the  carriage  and  told  me  some 
important  matters  he  had  for  me,  and  then 
he  asked  where  we  were  going,  and  I  told 
him.  "  Why,  have  not  you  heard  that  ?  " 
says  he,  "  it's  not  to  be  to-day  !  "  "  How 
so  ?  "  says  I.  "  Why,"  he  said,  "  it  is  not 
consonant  with  the  feelings  of  the  royal 
family  to  go  to  receptions  or  any  other 
place  on  Friday.  They  fear  there  will  be 
no  good  come  of  it,  and  so  the  President 
postponed  it  until  to-morrow."  When  he 
said  this,  he  bid  me  good-day  and  left. 

Now,  Miss  Lucy  had  been  so  earnestly 
talking  all  the  while  to  the  Professor,  that 
she  heard  not  a  word  of  it.  I  told  all  my 
companions  of  it,  and  told  them  to  say 
nothing ;  that  we  would  give  our  Lucy  a 
ride.      We  resolved  at  once  to  drive  far 


34 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


out  of  the  city,  and  then  discharge  her 
and  the  Professor,  and  let  them  have  the 
benefit  of  a  walk  back  to  the  Capital. 

As  soon  as  we  were  clear  of  the  street 
crowd,  I  made  the  driver  drive — (and  he 
did  drive).  In  a  few  momenta  we  were 
out  of  the  city,  on  the  Georgetown  road. 
Miss  Lucy  was  alarmed,  and  shouted, 
"  Where  are  you  going  I  What  is  the 
matter  {  "  But  we  heeded  her  not,  and 
urged  our  driver  to  go  the  faster,  the 
horses  being  kept  at  full  gallop.  Borne 
of  us  would  say,  "  Madam,  you  are  right ; 
it  is  a  very  fine  day."'  "  How  far  did  you 
say  you  were  going  ? "  and  such  like,  as 
if  we  did  not  hear  what  she  was  saying. 
Thus  we  flew  over  hill  and  dale  in  break- 
neck style,  all  of  us  laughing  fit  to  kill. 
Mra.  Lucy  and  the  Professor  now  began 
to  look  terribly  afraid  ;  soon,  indeed,  they 
thought  we  were  playing  a  sad  joke  at 
their  expense.  After  a  while,  we  turned 
up  Miller's  Lane,  where  all  was  dust  and 
hot  sunshine ;  poor  Lucy,  quite  enraged, 
shouted  with  all  her  power,  "  Where  are 
you  going  ?  For  heaven's  sake,  stop  ! 
This  is  the  wrong  stage  ?  Let  us  out !  " 
After  we  were  half  a  mile  further  on, 
we  succeeded  in  understanding  her,  and 
halted  to  let  the  pair  dismount. 

"  Gentlemen,  I  thank  you,"  she  said,  as 
soon  as  she  reached  terra  firma ;  "  you 
might  have  told  us  this  was  a  country 
stage.  We  took  it  for  a  carriage  going 
to  the  procession.  You  have  no  regard 
for  helpless  woman.  You  are  very  smart, 
gentlemen,  I  dare  say.  You  can  snicker, 
and  play  the  nice  gallant  to  doll-faced 
misses,  but  you  don't  see  nor  hear  a 
woman  of  sense." 

She  then  turned  and  looked  fiercely  at 
her  consort,  Professor  Jackson,  and  stared 
him  out  of  countenance. 

"  Professor  Jackson,  I  am  astonished  at 
you  !  Have  you,  too,  no  regard  for  the 
rights  of  poor  helpless  woman  ?  " 

But  ere  we  had  time  to  hear  her  full 
lecture,  and  in  the  midst  of  our  laughter, 
we  turned  our  carriage  and  began  to  re- 
trace our  course.  What  then  was  her 
amazement;  what  her  heart-burning  anger 
when  she  saw  and  knew  that  the  whole 
thing  had  been  a  joke  on  her  and  the 
Professor.  Here  lay  several  miles  between 
them  and  the  city,  to  be  walked  over  in 
the  burning  sun,  and  amidst  clouds  of 
choking  dust.  We  had  little  pity  for  her, 
though,  because  she  had  so  rudely  come 
into  our  carriage ;  yet,  we  were  heartily 
sorry  for  the  poor  Professor,  who  now 
must  needs  withstand  her  storms  all  the 
way  back.  We  also  justified  ourselves  on 
the  ground  that  the  day  was  a  holiday, 


and  we  were  entitled  to  have  some 
sport. 

What  was  our  astonishment  to  find,  on 
our  return,  that  an  equally  important  joke 
was  being  played  upon  the  venerable 
Judge.  Tin-  clerk  and  Prescott  had  laid  a 
wager  mi  tin-  result  of  the  Judge's  being 
magnetized.  The  wager  consisted  of  a 
dozen  of  sparkling  Catawba,  and  the  nature 
of  the  wager  was  that  no  trick  could  I  e 
played  upon  the  Judge,  to  make  him 
acknowledge  that  he  was  beaten  in  a  joke. 
The  plan  was,  for  the  whole  party,  after 
the  Judge  was  seated  in  the  parlor,  to 
withdraw  and  leave  him  sitting  there. 
It  the  Judge  continued  stilting  an  hour, 
under  the  belief  that  the  magnetizers  were 
standing  behind  him  when  they  were  not, 
or  if  he  would  own  up  that  he  had  been 
sold  in  the  matter,  then  the  clerk  lost. 
The  Judge  knew  nothing  about  the  bet. 
He  agreed,  however,  to  sit  to  be  mag- 
netized ;  and  at  the  end  of  the  hour  they 
were  to  fire  a  pistol,  and  he  was  to  get  up 
and  show  them  that  they  had  failed.  The 
magnetizer  was  promised  something  hand- 
some for  his  services,  but  he  had  to  agree 
to  the  plans  of  the  party. 

So  when  all  the  party  was  in  the  parlor, 
the  magnetizer  opened  the  affair  by  a  short 
lecture,  beginning,  of  course,  with  the  be- 
ginning of  the  world  ;  passing  through 
the  old  fogyism  of  man  in  not  believing 
in  magnetism,  and  blowing  on  its  powers 
and  usefulness.  He  then  told  us  that 
everybody  could  be  put  in  the  magnetic 
state  ;  that  if  it  could  not  be  done  by  one 
person,  it  could  be  done  by  a  number  of 
persons  all  acting  on  the  same  subject  at 
the  same  time.  He  then  informed  us 
that,  with  this  brief  statement,  he  was 
ready  to  begin. 

The  Judge  smiled,  and  shook  his  head 
to  signify  his  disbelief. 

If  you  never  saw  a  magnetizer,  I  will 
tell  you  how  he  does  it :  he  makes  down- 
ward passes  toward  you  and  around  you. 
until  you  go  to  sleep,  as  it  were,  with  one 
eye  open  ;  that  is  to  say,  some  of  your  ex- 
ternal senses  are  asleep,  while  your  in- 
ternal senses,  or  reflection,  are  in  cognizance 
of  the  magnetizer ;  and  so,  losing  con- 
sciousness of  yourself,  you  obey  him. 

When  several  persons  magnetize  a  single 
subject,  one  makes  the  passes  upon  the 
subject,  another  stands  behind  the  one, 
withdrawing,  as  they  say,  the  magnetism 
from  one  source.  Its  merits,  however, 
and  modus  operandi,  are  generally  de- 
scribed by  its  adherents  to  be  the  with- 
drawing of  the  electricity  in  the  system. 
It  is  also  said  that  natural  sleep  is  pro- 
duced in  exactly  the  same  way  ;  that  is  to 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  18G0. 


35 


say,  the  daily  toil  and  the  contact  with 
outside  objects,  -withdraw  so  much  tire 
from  the  system,  in  the  course  of  a  day, 
that  the  person  goes  to  sleep. 

With  animal  magnetism,  it  is  claimed, 
the  subject  may  be  so  reduced  that  there 
is  no  communication  with  the  sensitive 
nerves,  and  that  the  motor  system  can 
also  be  made  as  rigid  as  a  frozen  corpse. 
One  of  the  chief  arts  of  magnetism  is, 
therefore,  to  impress  fully  some  startling 
facts  upon  the  subject,  before  beginning 
the  operation. 

As  stated,  therefore,  the  present  lecture 
of  the  Professor  having  partially  (lightened 
the  Judge,  and  he  being  resolute  to  show 
us  that  he  could  not  be  put  to  sleep,  be- 
came passive  to  our  design.  He  was, 
therefore,  placed  in  the  centre  of  the 
parlor,  his  back  toward  the  door.  Be- 
hind him  we  stood  in  single  file,  and  be- 
gan the  downward  passes — the  Professor 
being  next  the  Judge.  The  Judge  was 
told  to  sit  still  until  we  had  him  in  the 
magnetic  state,  and  that  we  would  fire  a 
pistol  and  see  if  he  could  arise  at  the  end 
of  the  hour. 

When  we  had  given  a  few  passes,  we 
one  by  one  passed  out  into  the  hall,  until 
all  of  us  were  gone,  leaving  the  Judge 
sitting  in  the  parlor  alone.  He  thought 
that  we  were  still  operating  upon  him, 
and  he  was  waiting  for  the  signal. 

The  gong  now  sounded  for  dinner,  and 
if  there  was  anything  that  the  Judge 
hated,  it  was  to  be  kept  from  his  dinner ; 
but  still  he  was  determined  to  sit  it  out, 
to  show  us  that  he  had  beaten  us  at  our 
own  game. 

We  went  to  dinner  and  made  a  good 
deal  of  merriment  at  the  table.  The 
doors  were  thrown  wide  open,  and  we 
could  all  sit  at  dinner  and  see  the  Judge 
in  the  parlor,  where  he  could  hear  our 
noise  and  laughter.  He  envied  the  folks 
at  the  table  undoubtedly — not  knowing 
that  so  many  of  them  were  ourselves — 
being  himself  of  a  merry  disposition, 
especially  about  the  time  the  heavy  wines 
come  around.  So  for  one  whole  hour  we 
kept  the  Judge  sitting  there,  and  then, 
after  we  had  finished  our  dinner,  desired 
some  one  to  fire  off  the  pistol,  and  so 
make  the  Judge  own  up  that  we  had 
played  a  joke  on  him. 


Accordingly,  the  pistol  was  fired ;  the 
Judge  rose  up,  turned  around,  saw  us, 
and,  of  course,  realized  at  once  the  true 
state  of  the  case.  We  cheered  him  heart- 
ily, and  in  he  came,  saying  : 

"  If  it  had  not  been  for  that  pistol,  I 
might  have  slept  all  day." 

"  Good  !  "  said  the  clerk,  "  he  won't 
own  up  ;  I  have  won  !  " 

"  Why,  no  !  "  said  Prescott,  "  we  mag- 
netized him  ;  so  I  have  won  !  "  t 

"  Nonsense !  "  said  the  Judge,  "  nobody 
has  won.  I  took  my  regular  sleep,  and 
when  the  pistol  was  fired  off,  I  awoke. 
It  was,  indeed,  my  trick  on  you  all.  I 
only  sat  there  to  take  my  usual  sleep 
while  you  were  at  your  sports." 

Although  we  knew  he  had  not  been  to 
sleep,  Prescott  did  not  wait  for  the  laugh- 
ter to  subside,  but  ordered  in  the  spark- 
ling catawba.  In  a  few  moments,  how- 
ever, we  were  aroused  by  the  solemn  re- 
alities of  the  great  nation,  of  which  we 
were  yet  happy  members.  One,  two, 
three  rapid  shots  of  cannon  rang  in  our 
ears.  The  decanters  started,  and  the 
glasses,  half  raised,  fell  back.  "  What 
was  that  ?  "     "  What  was  that  ?  " 

Prescott  arose.  "  Ladies  and  gentle- 
men," said  he,  "  we  are  still  free  in 
our  light  enjoyment.  It  is  not  so  in  all 
countries,  and  it  cannot  be  so  long  here. 
I  hope  that  we  may  ever  esteem  these 
happy  privileges,  and  never  view  the  de- 
parture of  our  present  enjoyment.  We 
have  no  cause  for  rebellion,  and  yet  this 
very  city  is  in  the  hands  of  men  project- 
ing one  ;  not  against  the  city,  but  against 
the  freedom  of  man.  One  man  alone,  out 
of  so  many  millions,  has  the  hardihood  to 
oppose  them — I  mean  General  Scott.  He 
foresees  trouble,  and  yonder  cannon  are  all 
the  few  he  can  scrape  together.  I  think 
he  is  determined  to  keep  the  national 
Capital,  though  only  himself  do  stand  to 
battle.  He  has  just  had  an  interview 
with  the  Cabinet,  and  these  are  his  mes- 
sengers." • 

When  he  had  said  this,  he  turned  and 
left,  and  I  myself  followed.  Several  of 
us  who  had  charge  of  the  Prince's  pro- 
cession, having  been  sent  for  to  attend  to 
the  arrangements.  But  as  the  whole  affair 
is  related  in  the  next  chapter,  the  reader 
is  referred  to  that. 


86 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


CHAPTER    Y 


In  order  that  you  may  appreciate  our 
description  of  the  Prince  of  Wales'  pro- 
cession, I  must  first  introduce  to  you  our 
action  in  the  Cabinet,  which  was,  how- 
ever, an  informal  meeting ;  Prcscott,  my- 
self, and  several  others  being  among  the 
number.  As  you  are  all  conversant  with 
the  general  form  of  cabinet  meetings,  I 
will  at  once  begin  with  the  interview 
with  James  Buchanan.  He  was,  when  we 
approached,  in  the  grounds  in  front  of  the 
White  House,  but  with  us,  immediately 
retired  within,  when  Prescott  handed  to 
him  some  Charleston  papers,  saying,  "  Here 
is  something  straight  from  Charleston ; 
see,  it  smells  something  of  gunpowder." 
He  then  handed  the  Charleston  Mercury 
to  the  President,  and  added,  "  the  South- 
erners, you  see,  want  some  British  royalty 
here  to  sit  on  a  Southern  throne  and  wield 
their  affairs  of  state,  where  cotton  is 
king." 

The  President  made  no  reply,  took  the 
papers,  and  then  passed  them  around  to 
several  persons,  Davis  among  the  number. 
Davis,  however,  being  cunning,  was  anx- 
ious, if  possible,  at  that  time,  to  make  the 
appearance  of  the  projector  of  the  rebel- 
lion as  insignificant  as  possible.  He  there- 
fore replied  to  Prescott,  "  When  we  at- 
tempt to  muzzle  the  gas  of  newspapers, 
we  may  suffocate  ourselves.  We  have 
indeed  more  important  business  on  hand 
than  the  discussing  of  editorials." 

Mason. — "  Something  impoitant  from 
Charleston  ? " 

Prescott. — "  Aye  !  Beauregard  has  gone 
to  the  coast  to  survey  the  forts  and  plan 
out  the  mode  of  attack." 

Davis. — "  The  merest  balderdash." 

Prescott. — "  Assemblages  throughout  the 
State,  add  fury  to  the  fire.  Here  in  this 
paper  is  offered,  by  a  planter,  ten  thousand 
dollars  in  gold  for  Lincoln's  head  !  and 
this  advertisement  is  copied  in  many 
Southern  papers." 

Davis. — "  A  mere  electioneering  trick,  I 
do  assure  you,  Mr.  President." 

Prescott.  —  "  But  this  administration 
should  take  some  note  of  it.  This  crime, 
if  it  be  a  crime,  is  only  to  be  accounted 
for  in  the  State  of  the  criminal,  and  his 
State,  with  all  the  Southern  States,  do 
uphold  the  villain's  offer." 


Mason. — "  That  is  what  the  North  have 
brought  upon  themselves  by  electing  such 
a  man." 

Davis. — "  Indeed,  gentlemen,  shall  we 
not  attend  to  more  important  business? 
We  protest  that  when  our  house  is  on  fire, 
it  is  not  wise  to  discuss  its  original  cause". 
In  all  candor  I  wTould  ask,  Does  any  man 
suppose  that  there  will  be  war,  or  even 
secession  ?  Agitation  may  be  dangerous, 
but  we  have  power,  by  concession,  to  heal 
all  grievances." 

Buchanan. — "  I  hope  so  !  Oh,  I  j)ray 
that  it  may  be  so ! " 

Several  questions  were  then  brought  up, 
not,  howTever,  relating  to  the  most  import- 
ant affairs  before  the  country ;  and  then, 
after  a  little  informal  conversation,  some 
of  the  party  left.  Buchanan,  however, 
stood  there  alone. 

"  Oh,  the  mystery  of  these  things  !  "  he 
said,  "  the  mystery  and  vague  forebod- 
ings ;  a  word  is  spoken,  and  men  appear 
and  disappear  but  to  fill  me  with  unspeak- 
able awe  and  dire  confusion.  Noth- 
ing in  this  country  now  has  a  head  or  tail. 
Men's  actions  are  without  meaning.  They 
stilt  and  stiltify  one  another,  making  me 
their  spectator  for  punishment.  I  am  a 
very  stumbling  block  wdiere  both  parties 
come  and  break  their  shins,  myself  getting 
all  the  blows.  Misshapen  Richard  com- 
plained that  dogs  barked  at  him,  but  I 
have  all  my  countrymen,  and  yet  I  am 
President  of  the  United  States.  What 
have  I  done  ?  Wherein  is  my  fault  ? 
That  I  love  my  country  too  well  ?  That 
I  will  not  take  sides  ?  Why,  bless  me, 
have  I  not  explained  the  Constitution  ? 
Will  not  my  country  understand  me  ?  I 
do  protest  these  things  shall  not  be.  I 
will  write  another  message,  and  I  will  90 
illustrate  the  Constitution  that  no  man 
may  gainsay  me  more." 

This  he  spoke,  in  a  great  measure,  to 
himself,  but  somewhat  toward  Prescott 
and  myself.  Prescott  was  anxious  to 
make  a  reply,  but  I  checked  him  a  little 
out  of  respect  to  the  position  we  were  in, 
and  also  because  at  this  moment  General 
Scott  approached  and  entered  the  place. 
As  soon  as  Scott  had  passed  the  salu- 
tations of  the  morning,  he  at  once  broke 
forth  in  plain  English,  telling  him  to  re- 


38 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OH, 


inforce  the  Southern  forts;  and  telling 
him  plainly  that  it  must  be  done. 

But  Buchanan  wavered  in  assent,  sug- 
gesting that  "it  might  at  this  time  be 
unnecessary." 

••  Jt  is  necessary."'  >aid  Scott.  M  A  small 
lone  of  men  sent  there  in  time,  would  Bave 
the  country  from  Bhedding  one  drop  of 
blood.'' 

"I  take  it  that  that  would  only  be  a 
menace  to  the  South,"  said  Buchanan. 
"  Davis  says  so ;  so  does  Cobb,  and  so 
does  Rhett." 

Scott. — "Of  course  it  would  be  a  menace. 
Jackson  menaced  them  once  before,  and 
even  for  that  the  South,  in  the  end,  took 
sides  with  him.  Wavering  minds  always 
choose  sides  with  the  Government.  There 
are  ten  such  wavering  minds  in  the  South, 
at  the  present  moment,  to  one  secessionist. 
If  you  keep  silent,  these  minds  will  all  fol- 
low in  the  beat  of  their  leaders." 

Buchanan. — "  Have  you  any  evidence 
that  the  South  will  secede,  or  that  there 
will  be  any  disturbance  '." 

Scott. — "  Governor  Gist  is  already  arm- 
ing his  State.  All  assemblages  in  the 
South  now  gleam  with  swords  and  spark- 
ling bayonets.  To  be  even  thought  to 
be  a  Republican,  clown  South,  is  now  but 
to  meet  certain  death.  Everywhere  South 
has  the  threat  been  made  that  if  Lincoln 
be  elected,  secession  shall  result  from  it  ; 
and,  if  need  be,  by  force  of  arms.  And 
yet  we  sit  in  silence,  even  countenancing 
the  fall  of  our  country  by  our  inaction." 

Buchanan. — "  I  find  no  precedent  in 
history  of  reinforcing  the  forts;  neither 
is  there  aught  about  it  in  the  Consti- 
tution." 

Scott. — "  The  Constitution  !  "  And  when 
he  said  this,  he  looked  so  fiercely  at  the 
President,  that  the  latter  turned  pale. 
"  The  Constitution  !  I've  brought  down  a 
few  guns  to  this  city,  and  I  shall  fight  for 
it  whether  it  is  in  the  Constitution  or 
not !  "  Scott  rose  up,  and  I  saw  he  was 
tilled  with  a  deep,  burning  lire  ;  his  mass- 
ive brows  fell,  and  like  a  lion  to  a  lamb, 
he  gazed  on  the  trembling  President. 

Buchanan. — "  Do  you  think  1  could  re- 
inforce the  forts  with  safety  to  the 
South  ?  " 

S:ott.—u  The  South  !  The  South  !  Is 
that  your  country  ?  Are  not  the  forts, 
the  harbors,  and  custom-houses  the  prop- 
erty of  the  nation  ?  Are  you  not  bound 
to  protect  them,  whether  any  section  likes 
it  or  not  ?  " 

Buchanan. — "  If  I  had  the  consent  of  the 
Cabinet — ': 

Scott. — "  If  you  cannot  get  that,  why, 
get  a  Cabinet  that  will  consent  with  you. 


This  should  he  done  at  once.  Touccy  is 
Bending  the  navy  off  to  foreign  countries. 
Floyd  is  Bending  the  army  to  the  western 
frontiers,  and  Cobb,  through  Floyd  and 
Thompson,  ha8  sunken  the  treasury  from 
eighty  millions  to  twelve,  and  now  they 
have  stolen  even  the  remainder.  Really, 
sir,  this  is  no  time  to  be  reading  the  Con- 
stitution." 

Buchanan. — "  Indeed,  you  arc  right.  I 
am  resolved  to  reinforce  the  forts  at  all 
hazards." 

Scott. — "It  mu-t  he  done:  only  show  a 
little  spirit,  anil  nine-tenths  of  the  people 
South  will  stand  by  us." 

Buchanan. — "I  believe  so  too;  and  we 
will  show  them  spirit.  It  shall  be  done. 
Every  fort  shall  he  crammed  with  picked 
men." 

,s'. -,,tf — ••  But  at  once." 

Buchanan. — "  On  the  instant." 

Scott. — "  I  hope  so." 

Buchanan. — "  Oh,  you  can  rely  on  it." 

"When  this  was  concluded,  Scott  seemed 
much  pleased,  and  took  his  departure. 

••  Mr.  Jenkins,"  said  Buchanan,  after 
having  hung  his  head  awhile,  and  lingered 
his  vest  button,  "•  Mr.  Jenkins,  I  am  going 
to  write  a  message,  and  I  want  you  to  be 
my  amanuensis.  It  shall  be  filled  with  the 
soundest  arguments.  Everything  in  the 
Constitution  shall  be  laid  down  so  plain  a 
child  could  understand  it.  Moreover,  I 
shall  tell  the  South  in  plain  words  that 
the  election  of  a  plain  man  like  Lincoln,  is 
not  cause  enough  to  justify  secession  and 
rebellion." 

Just  then,  when  he  got  thus  far,  Floyd 
came  in.  and  stood  listening;  Buchanan, 
not  seeing  him,  went  on  : 

"Fort  Moultrie  shall  have  two  hundred 
men,  and  Sumter  three  huudred,  and  so 
shall  I  garrison  every  place  in  the  South. 
And  in  some  places  I  will  put  shrewd 
detectives,  to  keep  me  well  informed  on 
all  dangerous  doings  among  these  fire- 
eaters.  Indeed,  it  shall  so  turn  out  to  my 
thankless  countrymen  that  I  am  not  only 
a  peaceful  man  myself,  hut  the  cause  of 
peace  among  other  folks.  Come,  Jenkins. 
I  will  ask  my  Cabinet  nothing;  I  am 
going  to  stuff  the  Southern  forts." 

Right  before  him  now  stood  the  un- 
flinching Floyd,  the  man  of  oaths,  the 
cunning  Secretary  of  War. 

"You  will?"  'said  Floyd. 

BucJianan. — "  Ha  !  " 

Floyd. — •'  What  now,  Mr.  President  I 
Are  you  planning  the  death  of  the  nation, 
and  a  gallows  lor  yourself?" 

Buchanan,—"  Why,  indeed,  sir  ?  " 

Floyd. — ••  Fear  not,  I  mean  no  harm, 
neither  does  any  Southern  gentleman.     I 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN   1860. 


39 


am  not  only  your  friend,  but  the  friend  of 
my  country.  Intimidate  the  South,  and 
all  is  lost.  Compromise,  give  the  South 
plenty  of  time,  and  all  will  be  well." 

Buchanan. — "  In  this  extremity,  what 
shall  I  do  ?  There  is  a  mill-stone  about 
my  neck,  and  I  am  to  brave  the  ocean,  or, 
in  failing,  die.  Two  elephants  are  pulling 
me  in  opposite  ways,  and  I  am  half  ripped 
in  the  middle  by  their  powerful  tension. 
I  cannot  go  with  one,  for  the  other  pulls 
me  away.  One  threatens  eternal  execra- 
tion, and  the  other  death.  What  have  I 
done  that  I  must  die  ?  Not  my  life  do  I 
begrudge,  though  I  don't  want  to  die, 
but  to  go  by  the  Constitution,  that's  my 
matter.  Now,  in  truth,  I  have  just  prom- 
ised Scott  to  reinforce  the  forts." 

Floyd.—"  You  have  ?  " 

Buchanan. — "  I  have." 

Floyd,—"  And  will  you  ?  " 

Buchanan. — "  Why  not  ?  " 

Floyd. — "  I  have  nothing  to  say." 

Buchanan — "  I  am  aware  that  the  Con- 
stitution guarantees  Southern  rights.  I 
do  not  wish  to  menace  those  rights." 

Floyd. — "  And  yet  you  will  do  what  you 
would  not  do." 

Buchanan. — "  I  hope  not.  No,  I  am 
resolved.  I  will  not  reinforce  the  forts. 
Go  tell  my  would-be  murderers  I  shall 
maintain  the  Constitution,  though  the 
whole  country  perishes.     I  will." 

Floyd.—"  That  is  the  talk  !  Southerners 
are  the  hottest  blooded  p-eople  on  earth. 
Reinforce  the  forts,  and  every  man,  wo- 
man, and  child  will  be  in  arms.  To  in- 
timidate such  men,  ay !  but  to  raise  a 
hand  against  them,  is  to  destroy  one  of 
the  greatest  nations  !  We  protest  against 
force ;  we  are  sworn  to  the  stand,  to 
demand  a  guarantee  for  our  institution, 
and  we  will  have,  it,  peaceably,  if  we 
can  ;  forcibly,  if  we  must.  Blood,  blood 
be  on  the  head  of  him  who  dares  trans- 
gress the  rights  of  these  Southern  sons  of 
chivalry !  " 

Buchanan, — "  You  are  right !  You  can 
demand  your  guarantees,  by  the  Constitu- 
tion. The  Supreme  Court  will  uphold 
you,  and  so  will  all  peaceable  men.  Come, 
Jenkins,  I  am  resolved  to  write  a  message. 
I  will  show  the  whole  country  how  the 
matter  stands ;  that  there  is  nothing 
against  secession  in  the  Constitution,  and 
that  there  is  no  law  empowering  the  Presi- 
dent to  make  war  against  any  section  of 
the  country.  I  will  also  employ  Bishop 
Hopkins  to  write  a  sermon  on  slavery,  to 
prove  its  right  and  holy  origin.  I  will 
arouse  the  democratic  party  to  rally  round 
the  Constitution,  and,  if  chance  be  that 
Breckenridge  be  elected,  this  muddle  will  I 


all  blow  over.  Come,  I  am  in  humor  for 
it.  Get  me  the  decisions  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  and  bring  in  the  Constitution." 

When  he  said  this,  he  hobbled  up  to  a 
mirror  and  did  adjust  his  cravat,  saying 
to  us,  "Excuse  me, gentlemen,  a  moment," 
whereupon  we  withdrew,  Floyd  assuring 
him  that  his  remarks  were  just  the  right 
sort  of  stuff  for  these  times.  In  the  hall 
we  met  Cobb,  Rhett,  and  Davis,  though 
when  we  told  them  Buchanan  wanted  to 
adjust  his  cravat,  they  did  not  enter,  but, 
in  company  with  Floyd,  walked  off.  They 
went  clown  the  winding  stairs  toward  the 
lower  grounds  of  the  palace,  and  even  as 
they  passed  on  the  lower  step,  I  heard  a 
voice  of  a  woman,  who  said,  "  Go ;  no 
more :  go  at  once."  I  turned  to  look,  for 
it  had  a  sepulchral  sound — dramatic  and 
touching  ;  and  I  beheld  Madame  Ponchard 
and  Orsini,  with  the  papers  in  their  hands 
(newspapers),  and  I  took  them  to  be  the 
same  that  Prescott  gave  to  Floyd  and 
Davis.  The  thought  flashed  over  me  in  a 
moment  that  they  were  reading  of  the 
offer  of  ten  thousand  dollars  reward  for 
Lincoln's  head ;  and  when  I  mistrusted 
what  country  people  they  were,  I  trembled 
in  breathless  apprehension. 

"  That  is  short  the  mark,"  said  he. 

"  Patience,"  said  she,  "  patience,  sir ;  in 
the  name  of  all  that  is  sacred,  I  charge 
you  say  no  more,  but  go  at  once." 

"  But  if  the  place  was  known  ? "  said 
he. 

"  Follow  them,"  said  she.  "  I  am  off  to 
the  Senate.  Remember,  too,  that  admoni- 
tion.    Now,  no  more." 

"  I  am  yours  to  command,"  said  he,  and 
he  bowed  and  left ;  but  she  came  up  and 
entered  the  mansion,  and  passed  through 
the  hall,  but  where,  or  for  what  purpose,  I 
at  this  time  knew  not.  These  were  the 
most  words  I  had  yet  heard  either  her  or 
Orsini  speak,  though  I  had  known  them 
by  sight  for  several  years,  and  had  seen 
them  so  constantly  in  company  with  the 
most  respectable  people  of  Washington. 
They  had,  in  fact,  become  to  me  like  a 
cloud,  coming  and  passing  wherever  good 
or  great  people  were  assembled.  On  this 
occasion  I  endeavored  to  follow  her,  but 
she  soon  mysteriously  disappeared. 

A  few  minutes  afterwards,  I  heard  loud 
rapping  at  a  door— a  most  unusual  sound 
there — and  I  sought  for  the  cause.  It  was 
Prescott  trying  to  get  in  Buchanan's  room. 
I  told  him  the  old  man  was  fixing  his  cravat, 
and  that  we  bad  better  wait  awhile.  Just 
then  the  door  opened,  and  the  man  him- 
self appeared  before' us.  Prescott  intro- 
duced his  business  at  once,  saying  that 
news  had  just  been  received  from  South 


40 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


Carolina  that  three  commissioners  "were  to 
be  appointed  to  come  to  Washington  to 
demand  the  State's  withdrawal  from  the 
Union,  and  to  settle  for  the  National  prop- 
erty within  that  State,  and  that,  in  the 
ojjinion  of  Scott,  the  men  in  Fort  Moultrie 
and  Fort  Sumter  should  be  at  once  rein- 
forced, and  furnished  with  supplies,  as  the 
men  already  there  could  easily  be  starved 
into  a  surrender. 

Buchanan. — "  Why,  you  astonish  me  ! 
You  frighten  me  !  " 

Prescott. — "  'Tis  enough  to  frighten  all 
men." 

Buchanan. — "  But  I  tell  you,  Scott's 
going  wrong  end  foremost  about  the 
matter.  He  is  a  soldier,  and  he  wants  to 
fight ;  he  knows  no  other  way  to  settle 
anything.  Tell  him  I  have  reconsidered 
the  matter ;  that  reinforcing  the  forts 
would  precipitate  us  into  war  on  the  spot. 
Also,  go  and  telegraph  all  over  the  coun- 
try that  I  will  not  do  a  thing  against  the 
South.  This  will  cpuiet  them ;  it  will 
satisfy  them  I  am  determined  to  stand  by 
the  Constitution  at  all  hazards." 

Prescott. — "  But  suppose  we  wait  till  they 
are  in  position  to  demand  ;  they  will  say, 
1  Give  us  the  forts,  or  we  will  starve  the 
garrison  ? '  " 

Buchanan. — "  But  they  must  give  us 
time  to  weigh  the  matter ;  time  to  write 
a  message." 

Prescott. — "  Shall  I,  alas,  put  forth  this 
simple  thing  ?  The  watchman  prays  the 
thief  to  hold  awhile — till  he  writes  a  mes- 
sage to  justify  the  thief!  " 

Buchanan. — "  Sir  !  " 

Prescott.—u  Sir !  " 

Buchanan.  — "  Who  are  you,  sir  ?  " 

Prescott. — "  A  man,  a  citizen  of  America. 
I  am  one  of  the  firm  that  has  employed 
you  as  our  watchman.  Before  we  em- 
ployed you,  you  made  solemn  oath  you 
would  take  care  of  our  common  property, 
and  we  look  to  you  to  fulfil  your  obliga- 
tion. You  have  no  right,  sir,  to  barter  off 
the  nation's  things  to  any  section,  and  yet 
your  inaction  is  the  doing  of  it.  There- 
fore, to  suffer  it  to  be  so,  is  to  violate  the 
trust  we  gave  you — to  violate  your  oath  !  " 

Buchanan. — "  This  is  abuse.  You  take 
advantage  of  your  privilege  to  enter  here. 
But,  sir,  I  shall  not  be  ruled  by  any  party. 
I  go  by  the  Constitution." 

Prescott. — "  If  this  is  abuse,  sir,  you  have 
it  in  a  milder  form  than  you  will  in  five 
years  hence.  I  am  only  one,  but  you  are 
doing  wrong  to  millions.  You  are  plung- 
ing the  country  into  war,  and,  if  it  once 
begins,  hundreds  of  thousands  will  be 
butchered  by  your  impotent  criminality. 
Say  not  that  you  know  not  how  to  avert 


this  dread  calamity  ;  for  General  Jackson 
showed  you.  Say  not  that  you  have  no 
one  to  help  you  ;  for  you  can  make  your 
own  Cabinet.  Bay  not  that  you  lack  in 
money ;  when  you  put  thieves  to  watch 
over  it." 

Buclmnan. — "  Would  to  God  that  you 
were  President ! " 

Prescott. — "  In  faith,  if  I  was  not  that,  I 
would,  at  least,  be  master  of  myself!  " 

Buchanan. — "  You  would  find  that  there 
were  two  powerful  parties  pulling  at  you, 
and  that  a  great  Constitution  was  stuck 
under  your  nose  wherever  you  turned." 

Prescott. — "  Why,  sir,  the  nation  never 
reads  the  Constitution.  It  has  the  sense 
to  tell  what  justice  is,  and  it  has  feeling 
to  tell  what  dismemberment  would  lead 
to.  It  is  the  bond  of  party,  and  the  tech- 
nicalities of  law  that  have  confounded 
you." 

Buchanan. — "  Indeed,  you  almost  con- 
vince me ;  almost  am  I  resolved  to  join 
the  cause  of  bloody  carnage." 

Prescott. — "  You  have  no  chance.  You 
are  here  to  do  the  country's  will,  and  we 
look  to  you  to  do  it." 

Buchanan. — "  And  I  will.  In  fact,  I  was 
right  with  Scott.  Go,  tell  him  I  will  rein- 
force the  forts  at  once ;  a  ship  shall  be 
despatched  to  provision  our  soldiers  there. 
Oh,  our  poor  soldiers  !  " 

When  he  said  this,  Prescott  seized  his 
hands,  and  wished  him  many  blessings,  on 
which  he  took  his  departure.  "  Now  this 
is  the  last  time,"  said  the  President  to 
himself,  "  the  last  time  I  will  change  my 
resolutions.  I  will  be  as  firm  as  the  ever- 
lasting hills." 

I  saw  that  his  cravat  was  not  on 
straight,  and  I  turned  him  round  a  little, 
and  fixed  it  for  him.  Just  then  Davis 
came  in,  but  Buchanan  kept  on  talking ; 
not  seeing  the  former. 

"  I  will  not  move  one  jot  from  this, 
though  the  heavens  fall.  The  bloody 
hand  of  Mars  shall  threat  and  cower  these 
fire-eating  Southern  bloods,  till  they  trem- 
bling pray  me  mercy.  I  will  so  engulf 
them  round  with  soldiers  and  large  can- 
non, that  even  a  breath  of  wind  will  tame 
them.  Then  shall  come  my  message,  and 
Bishop  Hopkins'  sermon,  like  a  clap  of 

thunder .     Ah,  Mr.  Davis  !  "     And  he 

saw  Davis,  the  latter  smiling  at  him. 

Davvt. — "  Why,  sir,  what  humor's  this  ?  " 

Buclmnan. — "  Ah,  indeed,  what  humor 
is  it  ?  " 

Davis. — "  To  reinforce  the  forts  ?  " 

Buchanan. — "  I  must ;  the  curses  of  the 
country  are  on  my  head." 

Davis. — "  Why,  now,  indeed,  you  much 
mistake  the  country.      To  reinforce    the 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


41 


forts,  is  to  arouse  every  manly  feeling  in 
the  South.  It  is  to  threaten  with  a  straw 
that  they  may  laugh  to  scorn  such  mockery  | 
in  us.  They  are  the  embryo  of  a  great 
nation,  called  into  being  by  these  woful 
threats  from  an  unrnannered  and  impotent 
people.  They  may  be  led  or  pacified  ;  but 
driven,  never  !  No,  never  !  Reinforce  the 
forts,  and  you,  sir,  ruin  this  great  re- 
public." 

Buchanan. — "  Woe,  woe  is  me  !  The 
curse  is  on  my  head  !  Take  me  to  my 
chamber.  Send  for  Bishop  Hopkins,  ay, 
and  Wigfall.  Excuse  me,  gentlemen,  I 
can  bear  no  more." 

Thus  saying,  be  went  out,  having  ap- 
pointed a  time  for  me  to  call  and  write 
his  message. 

"  Poor  old  man  ! "  said  Davis,  "  he  takes 
these  things  entirely  too  serious  for  any 
good.  I'd  lay  a  wager  of  fifty  niggers  at 
a  slap  there  will  be  no  secession,  no  war, 
nor  no  trouble  of  any  kind." 

I  remembered, that  he  had  told  Judge 
Francis  that  there  would  be  secession,  war 
or  not ;  and  that  it  was  his  determination 
to  keep  the  thing  a  little  quiet,  till  they 
had  the  cards  shuffled.  But  I  betrayed 
nothing,  merely  adding  that  I  knew  of  no 
grievance  nor  any  damage,  either  of  prin- 
ciple or  property,  that  any  State  had 
suffered,  and  that  I  could  not  believe  meu 
were  so  far  forgetful  of  their  country  as  to 
seek  its  destruction. 

"  Of  course  not,"  said  he,  "  it  is  the 
merest  balderdash,  smoke,  folly.  But 
what  hint  did  he  drop  about  the  mes- 
sage ? " 

u  Oh,  many,  many  "  said  I,  and  I  told 
him  how  the  President  had  been  pulled 
about  by  the  two  parties. 

"  Good  !  good  !  "  said  he.  "  I  hope 
thry'll  keep  him  at  it ;  'tis  all  we  want." 

Before  he  spoke  more,  Madame  Pon- 
chard  passed  through  the  hall,  and  he 
addressed  her,  and  they  walked  off  to- 
gether. Now  I  was  alone.  I  had  attended 
a  Cabinet  meeting,  and  it  was  no  meeting 
at  all.  More  than  ever  was  I  forced  to 
reconsider  what  the  Duke  of  New  Castle 
told  the  Prince  of  Wales — we  had  no  gov- 
ernment at  all.  Every  Cabinet  member 
came  and  left,  as  did  any  body  else,  and 
Bnchanan  was  only  tormented  thereby.  I 
threw  myself  into  an  easy  chair  to  con- 
template the  apparent  coming  horrors  of 
my  country,  and  the  real  weakness  of  our 
government.  How  much  we  need  a  man 
of  firmness  for  such  an  office  as  President, 
and  how  little  do  the  people  weigh  his 
qualifications  while  he  is  a  candidate.  If 
he  be  indeed  the  chieftain  put  forth  by 
some  ignominious  convention — the  people 


vote  him  in.  But  how  could  it  be  other- 
wise ?  Great  men,  that  are  well  known, 
can  never  be  President  here.  They  would 
not  put  the  convention  into  foreign  mis- 
sions, and  fat  jobs — and  so,  the  convention 
will  not  nominate  them.  It  seemed  evi- 
dent to  me  also,  that  if  there  be  secession 
and  war,  it  was  not  about  slavery,  more 
than  it  was  about  the  spoils  of  office.  I 
was  familiar  with  the  corruption  of  the 
privileged  class  in  England,  where  a  single 
landlord  can  interdict  the  privileges  of  a 
railroad  company,  and  menace  a  whole 
county  into  his  whims ;  and  this  disgusted 
me  more  than  the  other.  But  as  for  France 
and  Germany,  I  had  only  the  spectacle  of 
Government  living  wholly  on  the  extent 
of  its  robbery  of  the  people's  rights.  _  With 
all  these  horrors  before  me,  I  still  ac- 
knowledged in  my  heart  one  great  advan- 
tage in  our  own  government ;  that  was, 
that  a  fool  or  a  villain  could  only  serve 
four  years.  But  while  I  thus  pondered 
over  the  affairs  of  State,  I  had  taken  from 
the  table  before  me  a  copy  of  the  Consti- 
tution, and  the  decisions  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  a  fact,  no  doubt,  that  accounted  for 
the  nature  of  Buchanan's  mind.  On  the 
margin  of  a  leaf  was  the  following  curious 
poetry : 

"  Oh,  so  long  and  dreary  pass  the  hours, 

When  my  Peggy's  gone ! 
Oh,  so  cold  and  cruel  seem  these  flowers, 

When  my  Peggy's  gone  ! 
I  have  a  love  so  gay  and  fair, 

A  love,  an  angel  ful  1  of  the  glee 
That  charms  the  heart  of  an  old  man  ; 

A  love,  that  maketh  so  merrily, 

What  otherwise  would  not  be." 

The  next  verse  explained  it  all : 

"  Long  have  I  waited,  O  my  fair  one, 
Long  have  I  stormed  the  battle, 
Almost  faltering,  almost  fainting, 
But  you  have  come  with  your  pretty  prattle, 

To  tease  and  to  tussle, 
And  now  am  I  happy  in  glory, 
Happy  in  glury,  happy  Victoria ! " 

No  doubt  could  be  raised  as  to  the 
author  of  the  letter,  and  I  knew  also  that 
it  had  been  just  written ;  for  the  Judge 
had  occupied  that  seat  when  I  entered  the 
mansion.  Hastily  I  tore  off  the  scrap  and 
pocketed  it,  intending  it  for  futher  exami- 
nation before  our  private  court,  which  was 
to  meet  that  very  night.  I  then  left,  pass- 
ing down  the  avenue.  In  a  little  wmile,  I 
fell  in  with  young  Wadsworth,  my  ex- 
pected rival,  who  greeted  me  with  much 
cordiality  and  friendship,  bidding  me 
come  and  see  an  object  of  commiseration 
near  by.  He  took  my  arm,  and  we  passed 
down  toward  the  Treasury,  where  we 
approached  a  man,  indeed  an  object  of 
pity.   He  was  sitting  on  the  grass,  leaning 


42 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


over  on  one  elbow,  dusty,  threadbare,  and 
apparently  -wearied  ;  bis  bat  far  down  on 
his  eyebrows. 

We  asked  him  if  we  could  do  anything 
for  him,  and  what  his  misfortune  was  I 
He  slowly  looked  upward,  and  I  recog- 
nized him  at  once  as  Professor  Jackson. 
"  Alas,  alas  !  "  he  said,  "I  do  need  pity. 
I  am  an  object  of  commiseration.  This, 
indeed,  proves  woman's  greatness.  She 
picked  me  up  and  married  me  in  a  day ; 
but  I  am  no  more  in  control  of  her  affairs 
than  a  thumb  paper.  She  sets  me  down 
on  a  corner,  or  lugs  me  all  day  through 
different  streets,  and,  moreover,  since  I 
find  her  out,  she  is  quite  old  and  ugly. 
Alas,  alas !  I  have  dreamed  for  many  years 
of  many  maids,  and  now  have  I  been 
snapped  up  by  one  whose  face  reminds  me 
more  of  an  abandoned  tan-yard,  than  a 
woman.  And  yet,  why  do  I  grieve  ?  Is 
this  not  the  cause  and  effect — that  our  two 
genial  natures  ran  together  like  water ! 
Our  money  went  the  same  way — all  into 
one  purse — and  that  purse  is  hers.  She 
has  my  hard-earned  hundred  and  sixteen 
dollars.     Alas,  the  day  !  " 

Even  while  he  spake,  his  wife  came 
upon  him,  hearing  his  last  words,  "  Ala9, 
the  day  !  "  and  then  she  spake  : 

"  Professor  Jackson  !  you  are  indeed  a 
perfect  Sancho  Pauza.  That  famous  squire 
was  ever  discouraged  ;  ever  fearful  that 
the  glorious  promises  of  his  master  would 
never  be  realized.  So  is  it  with  you  ;  not 
that  I  am  your  master,  for  I  only  hope  to 
stand  on  equal  grounds  with  all  men ;  but 
you,  you  cannot  estimate  what  we  have 
already  achieved.  If  we  were  overcome 
at  the  market-place,  did  we  not  vanquish 
the  same  opponent  in  crowding  him  out 
of  the  stage  ?  Then,  too,  shall  we  not  to- 
morrow, at  the  procession,  make  the  most 
decided  victory  for  woman's  rights  that 
has  been  since  the  days  of  Lycurgus  ? 
Only  a  little  while  more,  too,  and  the 
•  Journal  of  Progress  '  will  be  out,  which 
will  of  itself  strike  terror  to  the  heart  of  all 
oppressors.  The  down-troddeu  slaves  of 
the  country  shall  have  their  liberty ;  and  the 
bondage  of  woman  will  be  torn  asunder." 

When  she  began  to  talk,  Jackson  rose 
up,  but  still  held  down  his  head. 

"  I  will  tell  you,"  says  he,  "  as  for  van- 
quishing the  Judge  by  crowding  him  out 
of  the  stage,  my  opinion  is,  we  have  been 
vanquished  ourselves  by  that  rascally 
driver.  My  eyes  are  so  filled  with  dust,  I 
scarce  can  see,  and  I  am  almost  overcome 
with  the  heat.  And  for  the  '  Journal  of 
Progress  ,'  I  know  I  am  in  a  hundred  and 
sixteen  dollars,  else  I  would  go  take  a 
bath,  and  get  a  good  dinner." 


"  Professor  Jackson  ]  Is  that  so?  Now  am 
I  much  mistaken,  indeed  !  You  told  me 
you  had  been  lecturing  on  woman's  rights 
for  seven  years;  and  now,  when  we  are 
near  the  pinnacle  of  fame,  you  needs  must 
grumble  for  a  dinner  !  I  never  eat  but 
one  meal  a  day,  and  that  consists  only  of 
bread  and  water,  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  And  this  is  itself  a  great 
triumph  ;  it  shows  the  ascension  of  mind 
over  matter;  it  is  the  genius  to  which  all 
men  must  knuckle.  Only  be  patient,  and 
you  will  have  cause  yet  to  be  proud  of 
your  wife.  Methinks,  when  I  see  these 
doll-faced  women,  that  men  chuck  under 
the  chin,  and  call  pretty  and  sweet ;  what 
a  work  is  yet  before  us  !  When  man  can 
behold  the  eagle-like  vigilance  of  the 
woman  of  intellect,  and  love  her  for  that, 
instead  of  for  the  face  she  wears,  or  for 
the  idle  love-talk  she  twaddles  over,  then 
can  we  glory  in  our  cause.  Man  shall  be 
taught  to  bow  and  smile  to  knowledge, 
without  regard  to  the  form  and  features, 
and  woman,  too,  shall  learn  that  a  pretty 
face  and  gentle  voice  are  but  silly  items  in 
that  greater  day.  But,  air,  we  have  work 
to  do  ;  there  are  sufferers,  whose  wrongs 
are  crying  out  to  us,  and  we  must  not 
tarry  here.  There  is  a  law  in  this  land 
that  taxes  women,  ay,  widow  women, 
wonien  of  wealth,  and  yet  deprives  them 
of  voting.  Shall  we  idly  stand  while 
these  women  suffer  ?  " 

He  as-ured  her  over  and  over  that  she 
was  right,  and  that  hereafter  he  would 
complain  no  more  till  their  great  mission 
was  accomjjlished. 

As  soon  as  they  went  away,  we  resolved 
ourselves  into  a  committee  to  decide  how 
nearly  they  resembled  Don  Quixote  and 
Sancho  Panza,  and  we  found  them  to  be 
nearly  identical ;  so  much  so  that  it  would 
be  impossible  to  write  down  their  adven- 
tures, without  the  writer  being  censured 
for  playing  a  caricature  on  those  illustri- 
ous personages.  My  friend  Wadsworth 
told  me  also  that  this  was  an  excellent 
illustration  of  the  nature  of  the  human 
mind.  "  When  it  pursues  one  thread  of 
philosoj^hy,"  said  he,  "  it  invariably  results 
in  monomania.  This  poor  woman  has 
harped  so  much  on  woman's  rights,  that 
she  feels  and  sees  nothing  else,  giving  all 
her  energies  to  carry  out  a  mere  phantasy ; 
neither  does  she  suppose  for  a  moment 
that  she  is  deluded.  She  imagines  she 
can  turn  the  tides  of  man's  imagination, 
and  make  him  love  and  idolize  females  of 
her  appearance.  She  has  not  the  face  nor 
voice  to  gain  admiration  and  love,  and, 
frantic  with  slight,  she  blows  her  horn, 
to  call  man's  attention  to  the  attributes  she 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


43 


does  possess.  I  do  really  pity  such  a 
woman." 

"  But  Low  is  it,"  said  I,  "  that  sucli  a 
man  as  Jackson,  who  is  not  devoid  of 
knowledge,  falls  in  with  her  and  seems  to 
appreciate  her  ? " 

"  For  two  reasons,"  said  Wadsworth  : 
"  Firstly,  nature  never  afflicts  with  a 
malady,  but  she  has  also  provided  a 
remedy.  You  shall  see ;  he  will  soon 
become  displeased  with  her,  and  his  dis- 
pleasure will  either  drive  her  into  such 
madness  as  will  be  her  death,  or  she  will 
behold  the  folly  of  her  conduct,  and  so 
abandon  it.  Secondly,  there  is  no  one 
else  for  either  of  them  to  love  ;  what  he 
lacks  in  manliness,  she  has  ;  and  what  she 
lacks  in  modesty  and  backwardness,  he 
has,  for  he  needs  a  leader ;  and  so,  too, 
are  such  people  the  end  of  the  propaga- 
tion of  the  species.  They  are  the  line 
where  nature  has  set  her  everlasting  seal. 
They  feel  this,  and  hence  their  wail  and 
cry  of  anguish.  They  feel  that  they  are  a 
separate  race,  and  hence  their  jealousy  of 
rights  and  privileges." 

I  told  him  I  coincided  with  his  views, 
but  ere  I  had  time  to  say  more,  he  inter- 
rupted : 

"  But,  as  I  was  going  to  add,  this  mono- 
mania is  but  a  small  part  of  that  with 
which  the  whole  human  family  is  afflicted. 
What  more  is  an  Abolitionist  ?  What  else 
is  a  politician  ?  They  are  all  Don  Quixotes. 
They  harp  on  a  certain  topic,  till  they 
want  to  bring  all  the  world  over  to  their 
side.  They  take  up  their  cudgels  at  the 
sight  of  every  windmill.  Why  should  the 
North  meddle  with  the  South  ?  Or  the 
South  disturb  herself  about  Lincoln  ? 
Lincoln  could  not  harm  the  South  if  he 
were  elected,  even  if  he  tried.  And  yet 
hereon  are  topics  sufficient  to  drive  a 
nation  to  war ;  to  destroy  a  million  men. 
This  is  all  a  monomania  ;  a  madness.  It 
is  the  folly  of  man ;  he  will  not  control 
the  reason  he  has.  And  this  is  a  weakness 
with  which  all  men  are  afflicted ;  it  ex- 
tends from  the  highest  to  the  lowest  of  the 
human  race.  Man  cannot  control  himself. 
Of  all  animals,  he  is  the  weakest  in  this. 
God  has  given  him  reason,  and  it  is  an 
engine  that  runs  away  with  him.  Only 
one  man  in  all  the  world  is  sane,  and  he  it 
is  who  can  govern  himself;  but  who  will 
find  him  ?  " 

Now,  when  I  beheld  that  my  friend  was 
inclined  to  reason,  I  felt  that  the  strength 
of  soul  within  me,  which  mostly  lies  slum- 
bering in  all  men,  received  a  new  impulse 
of  vigor  ;  for  it  is  good,  amidst  all  humor, 
that  the  chords  of  sympathy  are  sometimes 
touched  by  seriousness.     I  replied : 


"  How  can  such  a  man  be  ?  Man  loves 
that  thing  most  which  is  most  in  his 
mind.  He  who  has  not  travelled,  values 
his  house  greater  than  a  king's  palace  ; 
and  his  neighbors,  he  estimates,  are  above 
all  others.  His  house  and  his  neighbors 
are  his  scales,  wherein  he  weighs  all 
things.  So  is  it  of  sections  and  of  nations. 
The  North  and  the  South  have  learned 
that  their  scales  do  not  agree  ;  but  who 
shall  say  which  is  right  ?  Let  them  ex- 
change their  abodes,  and  the  light  of 
humanity  will  be  upon  them.  Glory  be 
to  him  who  has  travelled,  for  his  fetters 
are  off,  and  he  sees  with  a  new  vision. 
Wherefore  is  the  prejudice  of  religion  ? 
and  who  shall  say  which  is  right,,  save 
Him  who  knoweth  them  all  ?  Neither  can 
any  man  say  he  is  a  philosopher,  or  a 
poet ;  for  time,  and  the  judgment  of  others 
prove  all  things." 

Then  he  asked  me  how  it  was  possible 
for  man  to  be  happy,  and  I  answered  : 

"  Only  by  doing  all  that  he  has  power 
to  do.  He  must  work  hard  all  the  days 
of  his  life  and  do  all  the  good  he  can ; 
but  most  of  all  his  essentials,  it  is  required 
of  him  that  he  be  not  himself,  and  that  he 
be  himself  also  ;  for  when  he  sees  his  fel- 
lows, he  must  forget  himself  in  the  sym- 
pathy he  owes  them ;  but  when  he  sees 
the  rain  fall,  he  must  remember  himself  in 
the  law  he  cannot  govern,  rejoicing  in  the 
things  he  knows,  and  in  the  things  he 
knows  not  of.  When  his  house  is  on  fire, 
he  shall  not  grieve,  remembering  that  not 
a  hair  of  his  own  head  was  burned.  When 
his  wife  is  sick,  he  shall  remember  that  he 
has  willing  hands  and  a  good  understand- 
ing ;  and  he  shall  thank  God  that  he  has 
used  them  rightly,  whereby  he  is  enabled 
to  alleviate  her  suffering.  When  he  reads 
a  tiresome  book,  he  shall  go  to  sleep  ;  but 
when  his  boots  pinch  his  feet,  he  shall  sell 
them,  for  they  are  not  worth  a  curse ; 
neither  shall  he  curse  anything  under  the 
sun,  for  all  things  are  of  some  good. 
When  he  writes  a  book,  he  shall  not  write 
to  please  others,  but  to  inform  them,  and 
to  please  himself;  for  his  vanity,  as  well 
as  his  stomach,  loves  a  glorious  feast — or 
no  temptation.  All  these  things  he  shall 
do,  and  as  many  more  as  there  are  stars  in 
heaven,  else  he  cannot  be  happy." 

So,  when  I  ceased  speaking,  he  said  I 
was  more  comfort  to  him  than  was  any 
other  man  he  ever  met.  He  said  he  could 
almost  be  happy,  were  he  always  with 
such  a  man. 

"  I  have  a  great  plantation,"  said  he, 
"  in  fact,  I  scarcely  know  how  much  I  am 
worth ;  so  vast  are  my  possessions.  But 
you  have  drawn  a  black  mark  across  it 


44 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


all.  You  have,  in  a  few  sentences,  shown 
me  the  vanity  of  all  earthly  treasures,  and 
you  have  held  up  to  my  vision  that  price- 
less boon  in  the  human  soul,  which  can 
carry  man  over  all  the  ills  of  life  tri- 
umphant. Long  have  I  been  oppressed. 
I  have  neither  mother  nor  father,  sister  nor 
brother.  I  have  had  not  one  to  love.  My 
heart  is  famished  and  broken.  My  grief 
has  become  the  bulk  of  my  observance ;  I 
need  to  have  it  chased  away.  Herein  is 
the  superiority  of  wisdom  over  riches ;  for 
the  latter  cannot  comfort  me.  Now  T 
pray  you  that  you  speak  more,  and  that 
you  teach  me  to  forget  my  sorrows."  Said 
I,  "  No,  this  thing  could  not  be  ;  to  stand 
and  talk  would  not  do."  Then  I  told  him 
if  he  had  no  objection,  I  would  compare 
him  to  a  lunatic ;  and  I  told  him  it  has 
been  proved,  by  facts,  that  lunatics,  put 
together,  cure  each  other.  The  philosophy 
is,  that  the  constant  diversion  of  the 
mind,  is  its  greatest  strengthening  power  ; 
that  in  life,  as  in  a  book,  constant  chang- 
ing scenery  is  the  style  to  which  all  men 
pay  homage.  "With  that  I  took  his  arm, 
and  we  started  down  the  avenue,  but 
scarcely  started,  ere  we  beheld  approach- 
ing Victoria  Edge  and  Ann  Underbill. 
They  were  clothed  in  the  richest  attire 
man  could  invent ;  and  their  jewels  were 
without  number,  blazing  in  the  evening 
sun,  so  that  we  could  scarcely  behold  their 
smiling  faces.  Two  such  gems  of  beauty 
never  flattered  man  before :  two  such 
queens  as  auburn  Ann,  and  rosy-cheeked 
Vickey.  The  latter  swung  in  one  hand  a 
huge  bouquet  of  flowers,  and  with  the 
other  managed  her  clouds  of  drapery,  that 
her  satin  gaiters  were  seen  to  pat  most 
saucily  on  the  stones  beneath  her  as  she 
moved  along.  But  Ann  no  fixture  had ;  a 
changing  scene  of  mirth  and  good-humor, 
playfully  hiding  that  deeply  seated  soul 
of  sympathy,  whereon  but  to  gaze,  is 
paradise  to  man.  Only  one  thing  seemed 
wrong — for  Vickey  to  have  so  huge  a 
bouquet,  with  nearly  all  the  flowers  scarlet. 
There  could  be  no  doubt  in  my  mind  who 
gave  her  the  flowers ;  I  had  seen  the 
Judge  with  the  same. 

Now  when  two  persons  meet,  they  must 
turn  aside  a  little,  otherwise  they  cannot 
pass.  So  also,  when  two  people  meet  two 
others,  there  are  two  pairs  face  to  face. 
In  this  condition  my  friend  "Wadsworth 
came  up  to  Vickey,  and  I  to  Ann ;  and 
every  one  of  us  seemed  reluctant  to  turn 
aside.  Vickey  said,  "  Behold  the  twin 
Apollos  !  "  and  Ann  quickly  added,  "  ver- 
sus grace  and  beauty." 

"Why  not?"  said  Wadsworth,  "  why 
not  take  upon  ourselves  that  wThich  the 


ancients  did ;  each  one  claiming  to  be 
some  figurative  character,  so  that,  in  after 
ages,  visitors  to  Washington  may  say, 
'  here  indeed,  they  were  ? '  Let  this  avenue 
be  the  loitering  place;  let  the  Jackson 
House  be  the  mansion,  at  the  windows  of 
wdiich  we  sigh  for  the  fair  ones  within. 
Then  we  have  your  uncle,  who  shall  be  a 
grave  and  jealous  protector,  and  you  shall 
at  times  steal  from  under  his  care,  and  we 
shall  attempt  to  fly  with  you,  but  become 
thwarted  in  OUT  endeavors." 

"  Now  I  do  think  that  would  be  de- 
lightful ! "  said  Ann,  "  only  you  might 
never  be  thwarted.  We  might  be  forever 
carried  off',  and  our  acknowledged  pro- 
tector might  become  despondent,  and  die 
of  a  broken  heart.  We,  too,  might  hear 
of  his  misfortune,  and  we  might  grieve  so 
much  as  to  make  you  miserable  ever  after : 
to  think  that  our  protector  had  taken  us 
in  infancy,  shielded  us  from  all  harm,  and 
that  he  had  taught  us  to  love  him  in  spite 
of  all  his  oddities.  It  is  a  subject  too 
sacred  to  jest  upon." 

Although  she  smiled,  yet  I  had  never 
heard  her  speak  so  seriously  before,  and  I 
was  thrown  off  my  guard  ;  for  I  thought 
she  intended  it  as  a  hint  to  both  of  us. 
On  relating  this  afterwards  in  our  court, 
to  the  Judge,  he  said  of  her :  "  An  excel- 
lent girl,  as  I  am  a  judge,  she  has  no 
superior  on  the  face  of  the  globe." 

I  never  gave  him  any  definite  answer  as 
to  the  replies  that  we  made,  or  the  con- 
versation that  followed.  Now,  although 
we  paired  off  with  the  ladies,  I  endeavored 
to  persuade  Miss  Underbill  to  walk  faster, 
so  that  Wadsworth  and  Vickey  could  the 
better  converse  with  each  other ;  yet 
I  discovered  that  my  persuasion  was 
entirely  ineffectual.  Perhaps  Miss  Un- 
derbill liked  to  hear  the  sound  of  his 
voice. 

We  were,  though,  presently  diverted  by 
the  most  mortifying  news  ever  given  to 
the  country.  Newsboys  were  running  up 
and  down  the  streets,  shouting  out  that 
Floyd  and  Thompson  had  robbed  the 
National  Treasury ;  and  I  am  sure  that 
there  was  no  man,  North  or  South,  of  all 
the  thirty  millions,  but  felt  ashamed. 
Even  the  agitators  of  secession  were  hor- 
rified, beyond  expression,  to  learn  that 
two  of  their  important  leaders  must  ever 
stand  the  brand  of  thieves.  Cobb,  Floyd, 
and  Thompson  were  the  perpetrators  ;  yet 
they  walked  the  streets  as  usual,  and  not 
an  officer  interrupted  them. 

Nor  was  this  the  end  of  the  shame. 
Wherever  we  looked,  wherever  we  walked, 
these  boasters  of  ruin,  these  worthless 
politicians  thronged  the  Capital,  to   spit 


LOVE  AND  WAR   IN   1860. 


45 


their  virus  in  the  face  of  good-natured, 
honest  people.  You  could  not  walk  alone, 
nor  could  you  accompany  a  lady  in  the 
streets  but  profane  oaths  saluted  your  ears 


and  these  from  the  men  that  would  presume 
to  destroy  a  nation,  and  found  another. 
And  thus  it  was  with  us ;  we  longed  to 
leave  the  street. 


CHAPTER    VI 


Before  going  further,  I  told  Jenkins 
it  was  essential  that  he  should  inform 
me  distinctly  whether  he  married  Ann 
Underhill  or  not.  He  then  said  that  he 
had  been  telling  me  as  fast  as  it  was 
possible  for  a  matter  of  this  kind  to  be 
related,  and  to  do  it  in  a  systematic  way. 
He  then  went  into  some  further  explana- 
tions as  to  the  secret  of  relating  a  serious 
incident  that  had  a  very  important  con- 
nection with  the  future  misfortunes  that 
befell  Ann  Underhill  and  thereupon  told 
me  to  proceed  as  follows  : 

When  it  was  nearly  night,  I  promised  to 
call  upon  the  President,  whom  I  did  really 
pity,  on  account  of  his  having  been  nearly 
deserted  by  everybody.  I  had  also  to 
complete  arrangements  for  the  reception 
of  the  Prince  of  Wales.  But  yet  another 
more  important  matter,  though  yet  un- 
known to  me,  was  to  be  accomplished 
that  night,  and  which  was  to  throw  every- 
thing I  had  ever  done  into  the  shade. 
And  this  it  was : 

On  my  way  down  to  the  Jackson  House, 
I  was  touched  cautiously  and  quickly  on 
the  shoulder,  and,  on  looking  around,  I 
beheld  Prescott ;  he  was  motioning  silence, 
even  while  he  urged  me  to  follow  him. 
When  we  had  withdrawn  a  little,  he  asked 
me  to  come  to  the  Capitol  grounds,  where 
no  ear  could  hear,  and  he  would  there  un- 
fold the  greatest  secret  plot  ever  formed 
by  man.  "  I  cannot  trust  myself,"  he  said, 
"  lest  the  very  air  I  breathe  inform  other 
men."  He  was  pale,  excited,  and  in  earnest. 
Indeed,  jest  and  folly  no  more  mingled  in 
the  bombast  of  politicians.  The  thunder 
seemed  as  if  beginning  to  move  the  whole 
earth.  Prescott  took  my  arm,  and  his 
very  touch  was  unlike  it  had  ever  been 
before.  Others  passed  us,  and  they  too 
had  felt  the  approaching  storm  ;  even  like 
wild  men,  and  fierce  with  fear  and  firm- 
ness, all  coldly  gazed  one  on  another. 
Even  so  short  a  while  before  one  could 
not  walk  the  streets  but  he  heard  the 
oaths  and  political  harangue  of  Southern 
fire-eaters ;    but  now,  no  more  noise  was 


there.     This  it  was  gave  it  meaning  ;  that 
put  the  seal  of  certainty  on  it. 

"Believe  what  I  say;  question  noth- 
ing;" said  Prescott,  as  soon  as  we  had 
seated  ourselves  in  a  lonely  part  of  the 
Capitol  grounds.  "  We  may  be  heard, 
and  if  so,  it  is  our  death.  In  the  basement 
of  the  Capitol,  where  the  statues  are,  I 
discovered  the  plot.  See  !  listen  !  I  had 
loitered  there,  beneath  the  caskets'  base, 
in  view  of  Commerce,  the  wThile  in  pensive 
mood,  when  rumbling  voices  caught  my 
ear.  I  looked  ;  'twas  Rhett,  Davis,  Cobb, 
Floyd,  Thompson,  and  others  I  could  not 
see.  So  strange  to  see  them  there,  I 
dodged  my  head  below  the  rim,  and 
waited.  Soon  they  were  beside  me ;  and 
there  they  formed  the  solemn  league, 
pledging  all,  soul  and  body,  to  God,  for 
the  performance.  Some  parts  I  caught, 
and  some  I  lost;  a  woman's  voice  I  heard, 
but  I  dared  not  move.  They  do  suspect 
Lincoln's  election,  and  thus  provide :  All 
their  doings  to  be  in  secret ;  no  man 
admitted,  but  those  known  beyond  a 
doubt.  That  the  whole  role  is  to  be 
played  before  the  1st  of  March ;  that 
every  office  North  and  South  shall  be  at 
once  brought  under  their  control.  They 
then  resolved  to  meet  to-night,  to  specify 
their  modes  of  action,  and  due  appoint- 
ments mark  out.  When  they  had  con- 
cluded, and  decided  where  to  meet,  I 
feared  for  my  safety,  lest  they  should  dis- 
cover me.  They  were  then  moving  on 
toward  me;  no  more  than  half  a  dozen 
yards  distant.  I  sprang  to  my  feet,  and 
ran  toward  the  lower  end  to  escape  at  the 
eastern  entrance.  They  wsere  amazed  at 
first,  but  soon  gave  chase.  The  door  wTas 
locked,  and  I  could  not  escape.  For  a 
moment  I  was  panic-stricken ;  the  flash 
of  knives  was  in  the  darkness,  and  earnest 
whisperings  rushing  forth.  Close  in  the 
corner  I  backed,  and  outward  fell  a  prop, 
where  the  workmen  had  placed  it  for  the 
night.  With  a  goodly  spring,  I  leaped 
over  the  side  trench,  and  made  my  escape. 
At  once  I  Avent  and  told  Scott,  and  he 


46 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


told  others.  It  is  now  urged  on  me 
to  play  the  spy ;  to  attend  their  meet- 
ings, and  there  discover  more.  I  am  my- 
self so  small  a  man,  and  not  having  much 
strength,  I  am  afraid  to  do  it." 

'•  My  dear  sir,"  said  I,  "I  will  go  with 
you.  We  will  assume  a  good  disguise. 
You  shall  be  Governor  Wise's  son,  and  I 
■will  be  Houston's  adopted  boy."  I  thus 
told  him  how  it  had  been  with  me  when 
I  beheld  Floyd  and  Thompson  at  the 
Treasury ;  also  telling  him  that  both  Scott 
and  Cass  had  advised  me  to  keep  it  secret. 

We  were  not  long  in  arranging  our 
plans  of  dress  and  mode  of  speaking,  both 
of  us  having  been  reporters  for  a  long 
time,  were  as  familiar  with  the  style  of 
language  of  other  folks,  as  if  we  knew 
none  of  our  own.  Accordingly,  wre  started 
for  our  separate  places  of  residence,  to 
adjust  our  clothing ;  but  when  we  came 
out  of  the  Capitol  grounds,  near  the  gate- 
way, we  beheld  that  ever  hideous-faced 
Yancey.  Like  a  sentinel,  he  seemed,  as  if 
watching  the  face  of  every  man  that 
passed.  Prescott  tightly  gripped  my  arm, 
but  I,  to  divert  the  distended  ears  of  him 
who  followed  us,  chattered  and  laughed 
freely  about  ladies'  hoops  and  length  of 
trail.  In  a  little  while  we  succeeded ; 
Yancey  fell  back  and  retired  near  the  gate 
once  more.  It  was  evident  now  that  the 
man  they  had  seen  in  the  basement  of  the 
Capitol  was  to  be  killed,  if  they  could  find 
him.  Their  very  first  compact  in  secret 
formed  was  thus  discovered,  and  it  will  be 
seen  hereafter  that  every  one  of  them  now 
believed  a  Judas  was  amongst  their  num- 
ber, and  that  he  had  induced  Prescott  to 
station  himself  in  the  aforesaid  place. 
Suspicion  fell  heaviest,  of  course,  on 
Toombs,  Cobb,  Floyd  and  Yancey,  and  so 
great  were  the  others'  convictions,  that  it 
was  resolved  none  of  these  four  should 
ever  hold  any  position  of  trust  in  the  con- 
templated rebellion.* 

1  cannot  say  I  was  fearless  in  our  pro- 
jected spy  business,  for  I  knew  every 
Southerner  would  be  armed,  and  that 
death  would  surely  follow  the  discovery 
of  us  amongst  them.  And  yet,  my  risk 
was  nothing  compared  to  Prescott's. 
One  thing  that  made  it  more  dangerous, 
was  the  place  of  meeting ;  which  was,  the 
garret-floor,  or  dissecting  room  in  the  old 
medical  college.  They  would  not  trust 
themselves  to  meet  at  either  of  their  pri- 
vate residences,  lest  the  women  ascertain 
their  business,  and  so  betray  them.  In 
the  above  place,  however,  they  knew  no 

*  History  has  since  proved  that  this  was  true.  They 
were  so  false  thai  even  false  men  would  not  trust 
them 


woman  would  enter.  They  therefore 
called  on  the  old  negro  janitor,  and  told 
him  they  were  doctors ;  that  they  had  a 
body  to  dissect,  and  that  it  would  occupy 
several  evenings.  They  told  him  also,  that 
the  corpse  was  of  a  well-known  person, 
ami  that  it  must  be  with  the  greatest 
secrecy;  that  he  died  with  a  strange  and 
very  dangerous  disease  ;  that  he  himself 
must  not  venture  near  the  dissecting  room 
until  they  were  through.  They  told  him 
they  were  so  much  afraid  that  somebody 
would  get  the  same  disease,  that  he  had 
better  give  them  the  keys  of  the  two  upper 
floors,  while  he  guarded  the  lower  ones 
himself.  So  much  they  frightened  him, 
that  he  said,  althoughv  he  had  carried 
many  bodies  up-stairs,  he  would  not  carry 
this  one  up.  They  told  him,  however, 
that  they  had  a  man  hired  to  do  it.  Then 
they  told  him  what  a  vast  number  of 
doctors  had  assembled  to  witness  the  dis- 
section, but  that  they  had  decided  only  to 
admit  such  as  had  tickets  ;  a  rule  he  was 
himself  to  strictly  carry  out :  showing  him 
a  three-cornered  blank  paper.  All  of  this, 
however,  neither  Prescott  nor  I  knew  of. 
Accordingly,  although  we  were  disguised 
very  wrell,  when  we  applied  at  the  college, 
we  were  confronted  by  the  negro.  He 
wanted  to  see  our  tickets,  lie  told  us  the 
doctors  were  doing  something  up  there, 
and  nobody  else  must  come  in,  except 
they  had  tickets.  Prescott  asked  him 
where  the  ticket  office  was  ?  "  Don't 
know  !  "  said  he,  "  s'pose  on  the  back  of 
this ;  one  of  the  doctors  dropped  his  and 
I  picked  it  up  and  saved  it  for  him."  He 
then  showed  the  little  three-cornered 
paper ;  it  had  been  cut  from  some  scrib- 
bled piece  of  paper.  Prescott  detected  at 
once  it  was  the  shape  that  made  it  all  right, 
and  he  told  the  negro  that  he  could  tell 
by  the  back  wThere  the  office  wTas,  and  that 
we  would  go  and  get  tickets  at  once.  We 
then  withdrew,  it  being  nearly  nine  o'clock, 
fearing  we  should  not  get  in  that  night  ; 
but  we  dreaded  more  than  anything  else, 
that  during  the  present  evening  some  rules 
and  signs  would  be  adopted  which  would 
forever  after  exclude  us.  Now  was  our 
time,  before  it  had  taken  full  form,  to  get 
in.  In  a  few  moments  we  prepared  our 
tickets  and  went  in.  But  what  was  our 
astonishment,  when  applying  at  the  third 
story  door,  to  be  confronted  by  another 
sentinel,  who  demanded,  "  Who  sent  you 
here  ?  "  We  knew  not  what  answer  to 
give ;  for  we  saw  that  our  answer  would 
betray  us.  Yet  we  knew  from  the  manner 
he  spoke  the  sentence,  it  was  a  hailing 
sign  of  a  secret  order,  and  that  he  was 
new   in   his   office.      Prescott  thought   a 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  18C0. 


47 


moment,  hesitating,  but  replied,  "  I  have 
forgotten  the  right  answer,  but  I  know  I 
was  sent  by  Ex-Governor  Wise,  whose  son 
I  am."  "  Oh,  all  right !  Is  this  man  all 
right  ?  "  Prescott  told  him  that  I  was 
Jim  Houston,  adopted  son  of  the  Gov- 
ernor of  that  same  name.  "  Go  on  up," 
said  he,  "  but  remember  the  answer  next 
time  ;  you  should  have  said,  "  I  came  to 
dissect  'the  body.'  "  "  Oh,  yes  !  "  said  Pres- 
cott. Thus  we  passed  to  the  fourth  floor, 
where  were  two  sentinels  within  hearing 
of  each  other.  It  is  needless  to  say,  our 
hair  was  on  end.  We  were  desperate. 
The  first  sentinel  said,  "  What  is  to  be 
done  in  the  college  to-night  ?  "  His  pro- 
nunciation showed  us  it  was  also  a  sign. 
Should  we  speak,  or  should  we  wave  a 
hand  I  We  knew  not.  We  trembled 
from  head  to  foot.  One  thing  alone 
could  save  us,  and  that  was  to  presume 
on  the  sentinel  being  new  in  office. 

Prescott  said — for  he  remembered  he 
was  to  imitate  a  Southerner — "  Damn  me 
if  I  remember  ;  we  had  the  three-cornered 
tickets ;  and  then  the  next  was,  '  Who 
sent  you  here  ? '  'I  came  to  dissect  the 
body.'  And  then  comes,  '  What's  to  be 
done  in  the  college  to-night  ? '  D — d 
if  I  remember  ;  but  I  know  I  am  ex-Gov- 
ernor Wise's  son,  and  that  this  fellow  is 
Jim  Houston,  and  that  we  don't  care  a 
cursed  damn  about  these  signs  and  an- 
swers, but  we  came  here  to  play  the  devil 
with  the  infernal  d — d  Black  Repub- 
licans." 

"  You  can  go  up,"  said  the  sentinel, 
laughing,  shaking  us  both  by  the  hands, 
at  the  same  time  telling  the  sentinel 
above  to  let  us  up — that  he  could  vouch 
for  us.  "  But  remember  the  answer,"  said 
he,  "  the  next  time  you  come ;  you  should 
have  said,  '  That  body  must  be  buried  so 
that  no  trace  of  it  will  remain  in  the  mem- 
ory of  man.'  The  next  question  is,  '  Will 
you  be  coming  down  soon  ? '  Your  an- 
swer is,  '  Not  till  I  have  so  provided 
against  its  disease,  that  no  other  will  ever 
die  of  the  same,  I  hope.'  "  * 

"  I  told  you,"  said  Prescott  to  me,  "you 
and  I  could  never  learn  that  d — d  lingo." 

"  I  do  know  it,"  said  I ;  "  you  have  not 
given  me  a  chance,"  and  I  also  put  on  an 
oath.  Again  the  sentinels  laughed,  and 
we  thanked  them.  Half  a  minute  more, 
and  we  were  in  the  dimly-lighted  hall. 
Oh,  what  a  blessing  this  was  to  us ! — a 
few  little  untrimmed  candles  only.  Eigh- 
teen persons  were  in  the  room;  we  made 
twenty.  Three  more  came  in  afterward. 
The    meeting    was    organized ;    Toombs 

*  These  •were  the  correct  questions  and  answers  of 
the  then  secret  order  which  organized  the  rehellion.    I 


in  the  chair;  Davis  was  speaking; 
the  others  were  seated  on  the  dissect- 
ing tables.  Davis  dwelt  at  some 
length  on  the  impossibility  of  ever  har- 
monizing the  antagonistic  principles  of 
the  North  and  South,  until  one  should 
overcome  the  other.  He  said  a  pro- 
tective tariff  would  build  u\)  the  free 
States ;  every  city  and  village  in  the 
North  would  ultimately  become  a  place 
of  manufacture,  and  consequently  of  capi- 
tal. But,  on  the  other  hand,  free  trade 
alone  could  develop  the  wealth  of  the 
slave  States.  Next  he  referred  to  the 
stigma  of  slavery.  He  said  that  we  (the 
slave-owners)  were  to  blame  for  that. 
Power  and  might  make  right  amongst 
nations.  When  Great  Britain  was  the 
most  powerful  nation,  she  took  from  the 
weaker  powers  what  she  wanted,  then 
made  a  law  for  it.  We  can  now  do  what 
she  used  to  do.  We  only  need  put  our 
hands  forth,  and  the  thing  is  done.  All 
the  important  offices  of  the  United  States 
are  ours.  The  navy  is  ours,  and  so  is  the 
army.  The  money  is  ours,  and  the  best 
men  of  the  country  are  ours.  Now  let 
us  see,"  he  continued,  "  for  we  take  it  for 
granted  Lincoln  will  be  elected  ;  we  have 
four  months  to  accomplish  this  in.  We 
demand,  that,  as  he  is  illegally  elected, 
in  consequence  of  being  sectional,  the 
constitutional  obligations  of  the  States 
are  violated.  Therefore  some  other  man 
must  fill  the  chair ;  and  the  present  in- 
cumbent of  that  and  other  offices  can 
decide  that,  above  the  vote  of  the  elec- 
toral college.  I  will  suppose,  for  in- 
stance," said  he,  "  that  within  a  month 
we  decide  upon  officers  to  fill  the  coming 
vacant  seats.  On  the  15th  of  February 
they  are  all  installed  ;  everything  warrant- 
ing power  throughout  the  whole  country 
is  given  into  their  charge.  What  folly,. 
I  would  ask,  would  it  be  for  Lincoln  to 
come  here  half  a  month  afterward  to> 
claim  the  office  of  President !  You  may 
suppose,  however,  we  shall  meet  with 
opposition,  feeble  though  it  be ;  yet  that 
very  opposition  shall  be  turned  to  our 
advantage ;  for  it  furnishes  us  with  a 
treaty  power  with  each  State  in  which 
a  revision  of  the  Constitution  will  follow, 
guaranteeing  our  rights  to  slavery  through- 
out the  whole  country,  and  forever  after 
apportioning  the  number  of  representa- 
tives in  Congress  exactly  equal  between 
the  slave  and  free  States.  We  can  even 
demand  a  revision  of  the  suffrage  law, 
limiting  the  voters  in  each  State  to  per- 
sons of  some  considerable  income.  This 
will  give  us  a  respectable  governing  class, 
without  the  evils  of  monarchy ;,  and  it 


48 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;    OR, 


will  silence  forever  the  harangue  of  un- 
principled politicians." 

When  he  ceased  talking,  there  -were 
several  others  tried  to  get  the  floor,  each 
one  only  asking  the  privilege  to  suggest 
one  word.  Floyd  succeeded,  however,  in 
making  the  next  speech.  He  recommmd- 
ed  that  we  pursue  a  strict  line  of  justice 
according  to  the  Constitution ;  that  we 
ever  hold  in  reverence  the  high  moral 
character  of  our  Revolutionary  fathers. 

Slidell  spoke  next.  He  understood  the 
thing  very  differently ;  he  thought  the 
Southern  people  of  a  better  stock  than 
the  Northerners,  and  he  proposed,  ac- 
cordingly, that  the  Southern  or  slave 
States  withdraw  from  the  Union. 

Hardly  had  he  said  this,  when  up  jump- 
ed a  dozen  others,  denouncing  such  a  sug- 
gestion as  altogether  at  variance  with  their 
designs.  This  confusion  brought  ujj  the 
chair — Toombs — who  decided  against  any 
new  projects.  He  said :  "  We  have  formed 
ourselves  into  a  nucleus  for  a  new  govern- 
ment on  a  new  principle  for  the  United 
States  of  America.  Every  member  ad- 
mitted here  is  sworn  to  that.  We  will 
not  tolerate  any  dissent.  Whoever  speaks 
on  this  floor,  must  understand  that  any 
variance  from  our  purpose  is  at  his  peril. 
Speakers  must  confine  themselves  to  the 
fact,  that  we,  ourselves,  are  the  beginning, 
the  preliminary  government  spoken  of, 
and  that  the  object  of  our  meeting  is  to 
determine  the  manner  of  effectually  estab- 
lishing the  new  government." 

"  That's  the  talk ! "  "  That's  the  talk  ! " 
shouted  a  number  of  others  as  soon  as 
Toombs  took  his  seat ;  and  immediately 
after  Cobb  presented  the  following  well- 
known  resolutions : 

"  That  companies  of  minute-men  be 
formed  and  drilled,  to  the  extent  of  one 
hundred  thousand  men,  apportioned  in 
different  Southern  States  according  to 
population. 

"  That,  to  carry  out  this  organization, 
a  secret  embassy  be  sent  to  every  State. 

"  That  such  embassy  be  empowered  to 
form  branches  to  this  government. 

"  That  it  shall  be  in  the  power  of  this 
government  to  call  from  said  minute-men 
twenty  thousand,  equipped  for  war,  to  the 
city  of  Washington,  to  be  used  for  any  pur- 
pose the  president  and  secretary  may  direct. 

"  That,  as  fast  as  branches  to  this  gov- 
ernment are  formed,  they  shall  send  and 
maintain  one  member  in  the  general  body." 

These  were  adopted  by  acclamation ; 
but  it  was  afterward  decided  that  the 
written  signature  of  every  one  present 
should  be  attached ;  and  that  copies  of 
the  resolutions  should  be  furnished  to  the 


travelling  embassy.  As  soon  as  this  de- 
cision was  made,  Prescott  and  I  began  to 
tremble  for  our  safety  ;  for  we  were  not 
certain  but  some  of  the  men  present  knew 
Wise's  son  and  Jim  Houston.  Besides 
that,  we  would  be  forgers  of  these  men's 
names.  In  a  few  minutes  the  paper  was 
ready,  ami  three  or  four  of  the  obscure 
candle-;  were  brought  near  the  desk,  or 
rather  dissecting  table,  and  quite  a  light 
thrown  on  each  signer's  face.  Toombs 
signed  it  first,  saying  at  the  same  time, 
that  this  was  the  greatest  thing  ever  done 
by  man ;  that  he  would  have  even  sold 
his  life  for  the  privilege  of  putting  the 
first  signature. 

Then  came  Davis,  remarking  that  he 
was  still  watching  over  the  dying  body 
of  a  great  man,  but  that  he  christened 
this  infant  government  with  his  signature 
with  the  greatest  happiness  ever  known 
to  any  one  on  earth.  He  felt  that  he  was 
indeed  making  a  covenant  with  the  Al- 
mighty God.  After  him  came  Cobb, 
Floyd,  aud  others,  every  one  of  whom 
made  some  remarks.  Not  one  was  signing 
in  silence.  Should  we  make  a  speech  ? — 
walk  up  before  all  these  men  and  say  noth- 
ing ?  Why,  they  would  suspect  us  at  once. 
Then,  too,  Prescott  stuttered  a  little  when 
excited,  and  many  men  knew  him  by  that. 
These  fears  came  upon  us  with  much  force ; 
and  as  we  leaned  together,  rapidly  coun- 
selling on  it,  Prescott  said  he  had  a  notion 
to  make  believe  he  had  a  fit,  and  so  get 
carried  out  by  me.  I  told  him  his  whis- 
kers and  wig  might  come  oft*;  that  we 
had  better  come  out  and  blow  on  the 
whole  concern.  He  said  they  could  kill 
us  and  sell  us  to  the  doctors,  and  no  one 
would  ever  know  it ;  that  was  the  reason 
they  had  chosen  this  place.  lie  told  me 
to  look  at  the  door ;  and  there,  behold, 
with  sword  drawn,  stood  that  mysterious 
Orsini !  We  next  observed  that  nearly 
every  one  had  on  side  arms. 

Now  it  takes  some  rime  for  twenty-three 
men  to  sign  a  paper,  especially  if  each  one 
makes  a  few  remarks  beforehand  ;  and  yet 
the  time  on  this  occasion  flew  faster  than 
ever  before.  Already  were  different  ones 
looking  at  us,  seeming  not  to  know  us. 
We  were  almost  desperate.  We  went  for- 
ward. Oh,  if  Prescott  should  stutter ! 
All  eyes  were  on  us.  Prescott  took  the 
pen,  saying,  "  Though  the  father  set  the 
seal,  the  son  with  maddened  heart  puts 
down  the  signature."  He  signed ;  and 
when  they  beheld  his  name,  they  shouted 
loudly,  "  Good  on  John  Brown  !  "  Toombs 
remarked,  "  I  am  indeed  so  happy  to  see 
you  !  How  you  have  changed  !  I'd  never 
have  known  vou." 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


49 


Now  I  came,  and  I  said,  "  May  my  god- 
father rejoice ;  for  his  son  is  at  the  zenith  !  " 
In  a  moment  more  I  was  hailed  on  all 
sides  :  "  How  are  you,  Jim  ?  "  "  Why, 
what's  the  matter  ?  "  "  What's  come  of 
your  big  belly  ?  "  Of  course,  I  said  but 
little,  laughed  heartily,  and  cautioned 
them  to  heed  the  grand  object  of  the 
meeting.  Now,  while  I  talked  thus, 
Floyd  looked  at  me,  and  I  thought  he 
knew  me.  I  put  one  hand  in  my  pocket, 
as  indifferently  as  possible,  and  seized  a 
huge  knife  which  I  had  provided,  in  case 
of  emergency,  and  I  fully  resolved,  if  he 
said  aught,  to  strike  it  to  his  heart,  and 
shout  out  "  Traitor ! "  and  in  the  melee 
make  good  my  escape.  But  he  did  not ; 
he  gradually  ceased,  and  became  absorbed 
in  the  affairs  of  the  meeting,  and  more 
especially  in  giving  in  a  report  of  his 
affairs  with  the  defunct  republic.  "  I 
have  to  report,"  said  he,  "  the  transfer 
of  one  hundred  and  fifteen  thousand  guns 
to  Southern  forts  in  order.  Of  the  sale 
of  forty  thousand  muskets,  at  two  dollars 
each,  to  two  depositories  South.  These  mus- 
kets were  of  approved  patterns,  and  cost 
the  late  United  States  Government  twelve 
dollars  each.  There  are  still  at  my  dis- 
posal twelve  hundred  cannon,  besides  a 
number  of  other  heavy  ordnance,  and  I  ask 
you  all  what  I  shall  do  with  them  ?  " 

In  less  than  five  minutes  it  was  resolved 
to  place  them  at  the  service  of  the  min- 
ute-men. This  was  the  chief  of  all  that 
was  said  or  done  during  our  stay,  but 
occupied  us  until  after  one  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  Prescott  and  I  knew  that  when 
the  meeting  broke  up  there  would  many 
come  to  us  to  engage  us  in  a  good  greet- 
ing, and  accordingly  we  resolved  thac  at 
the  first  opportunity  we  would  make  our 
exit.  Just  before  closing,  Toombs  called 
attention  to  the  necessity  of  guarding 
against  traitors.  He  said  that  every  man 
should  be  vigilant,  and,  if  he  had  any 
suspicion,  he  should  out  with  it  at  once. 
That  there  had  been  an  occurrence  at  the 
Capitol  which  made  it  essential  to  look 
out  sharply.  He  would  also  state,  with- 
out any  suspicion  or  imputation  to  any 
one  present,  that  there  might  be  a  Judas 
amongst  us,  and  that  that  Judas  might 
provide  for  our  entire  capture  at  the  next 
meeting.  He  proposed,  therefore,  that 
the  time  and  place  of  the  next  meeting 
be  not  made  known  more  than  an  hour 
beforehand,  and  that  it  be  made  known 
by  members  calling  for  each  other ;  and 
that,  when  a  person  is  called  for  and  can- 


not go,  he  shall  not  be  told  where  the 
meeting  is ;  neither  shall  the  person  so 
calling  go  to  the  meeting  himself,  lest  he 
be  followed.  This  would  make  it  posi- 
tively select  and  safe.  And  so  his  sug- 
gestions were  endorsed,  and  he  and  Davis 
were  appointed  to  make  out  the  time  and 
place.  Toombs  then  urged  every  mem- 
ber to  subscribe  his  address;  and  this, 
too,  was  endorsed.  The  members  now 
went  forward  and  put  them  down.  Says 
I  to  Prescott,  "  We'll  put  ours  down, 
Thirty-seven  J  street — that  large  board- 
ing-house." "  Agreed,"  said  he,  in  a 
whisper.  It  did  not  occur  to  us  that  the 
proprietor  of  that  house  might  be  present. 
I  wrote  the  names  myself.  "  Why,  are 
you  at  my  house  ? "  said  a  rough  voice 
beside  us.  "  Certainly,"  said  I.  "  Why, 
when  did  you  come  ? "  said  he.  I  an- 
swered, "  This  evening."  "  Not  before  I 
came  here,"  said  he ;  "  and  I  came  here 
since  you  !  "  Prescott  and  I  felt  that  our 
time  was  near  an  end.  I  almost  choked  as 
I  replied,  "  That  four-story  brick — do  you 
keep  that  house  8  "  "  Which  ?— oh  !  ah  ! 
are  you  there  ?  That  is  Twenty-seven. 
Ha  !  ha  !  ha  !  Why,  do  you  know  what 
kind  of  house  that  is  ?  "  "  Bah  !  "  said  I, 
and  Prescott  and  I  were  drawing  toward 
the  exit.  All  eyes  were  turned  on  us,  and 
some  whispering  began  amongst  the  mem- 
bers. Cobb  shouted  out,  "  Who  brought 
those  men  here  ?  How  do  you  know  they 
have  signed  our  compact  ?  Who  knows 
them  ?  Are  they  traitors  ?  "  The  word 
traitor  rang  all  over  the  house.  "  Trait- 
ors !  Traitors ! "  Toombs  called  out 
"  Order ! "  but  all  was  instant  confusion. 
Orsini  stepped  aside  to  see  some  sign 
from  either  Floyd  or  Davis.  We  started 
quickly  outward,  and  in  a  twinkle  Orsini's 
sword  flashed.  I  dodged,  and  the  blade 
shaved  my  crown,  cutting  quite  through 
my  hat.  Prescott  was  ahead.  We  cleared 
the  sentinels  at  a  bound,  one  of  whom 
snatched  at  my  coat-skirt.  Pell-mell 
they  came ;  the  stairs  and  halls  all  dark. 
Quicker  than  the  breath  of  a  frightened 
dove  we  were  in  the  street.  And  our 
pursuers  were  locked  in  the  college.  The 
old  negro  had  been  asleep  in  the  hall,  and 
when  we  ran  over  him  he  woke  and  sprang 
to  the  door,  shutting  himself  inside,  think- 
ing that  robbers  were  about  to  break  into 
the  college. 

Thus  abruptly  Jenkins  ends  this  chap- 
ter ;  but  he  says  there  is  more  of  the  story 
further  on. 


50 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


CHAPTER    VII 


By  way  of  beginning  where  the  last 
chapter  ended,  Jenkins  says  that  he  and 
Prescott  wended  their  way  to  their  homes 
about  as  fast  as  could  be  reasonably  ex- 
pected of  them.     He  then  adds  : 

I  was  as  much  puzzled  what  to  do  with 
our  information  as  I  was  frightened  about 
our  personal  safety.  Our  Government  was 
so  rotten  at  this  time  that  there  was  no 
one  with  whom  we  could  trust  our  secret. 
Scott  and  Cass  were  true  to  the  national 
Government,  but  their  power  was  little. 
Seward,  Lovejoy,  and  others  were  true, 
but  they  had  no  more  power  and  in- 
fluence over  national  affairs  than  they 
had  over  the  sun. 

Now,  when  I  returned  to  my  room  and 
reasoned  on  the  approaching  crisis ;  when 
I  beheld  how  entirely  one-sided  seemed 
all  the  wealth  and  influence  of  the  coun- 
try ;  when  I  remembered  how  surely  the 
Democratic  party  of  the  North  would 
take  sides  with  the  slave  party  of  the 
South,  I  did  really  feel  that  the  glory  and 
power  of  the  great  republic  was  about  fall- 
ing forever.  If  so,  what  madness  would 
it  be  for  Prescott  and  myself  to  tell  the 
things  we  knew  !  This,  you  may  be  sure, 
was  not  a  condition  to  please,  nor  was  it 
such  as  would  lull  me  to  sleep ;  and  so  I 
rolled  and  tumbled  until  I  thought  it  was 
nearly  dawn,  when  I  began  to  doze ;  and 
then,  alas  !  I  was  aroused  by  still  another 
dreadful  omen. 

Voices,  strange  in  that  place,  yet  voices 
familiar  to  my  well-trained  ear,  were  heard 
in  the  hall,  and  in  earnest  accents.  I  knew 
that  they  were  the  voices  of  Madame  Pon- 
chard  and  Orsini.  I  knew  also  that  no 
person  had  any  business  in  that  end  of 
the  hall  at  that  hour  of  the  night ;  and, 
raising  myself  cautiously  in  bed,  I  lis- 
tened. I  heard  her  say,  "  No  more  !  no 
more  !  Trust  me  to  do  what  I  say,  or  in 
my  anger  forth  shall  come  the  story  of 
the  poisoned  water." 

And  then  he  earnestly  whispered,  "  Why, 
Madame,  by  that  you  became  possessed 
of  immense  wealth  !  You  would  impugn 
yourself." 

"  I  know  my  part,"  said  she,  "  and  that 
you  were  the  murderer." 

"  But,  it  was  too "  said  he  ;  but  she 


cut  him  short  by  commanding  "  Silence ! " 
and  the  mandate,  "  Do  as  I  bid  !  " 

This  conversation,  though  almost  in 
whispers,  was  distinct,  yet  I  had  not 
heard  sufficient  to  gather  the  thread  of 
their  discourse.  I  then  heard  a  slight 
rustle  outside,  but  did  not  hear  thein 
depart,  though  the  sounds  ceased.  I 
rose,  went  to  the  door  and  looked  out, 
but  no  one  was  there ;  and  as  my  boots 
(having  been  placed  in  the  hall  in  order 
to  have  them  polished)  were  still  stand- 
ing there,  I  could  not  conceive  that  the 
intruders  had  been  there  for  any  purpose 
of  thieving.  Again  I  returned  to  my  bed, 
but  with  breathless  anxiety.  After  some 
moments  of  uneasiness,  I  extended  my 
hands  outward,  and  violently  rang  the 
bell.  In  another  minute  the  hotel  ser- 
vants were  running  to  me.  I  threw  open 
the  door,  and  we  all  sought  to  find  the 
said  persons,  but  they  were  gone.  The 
clerk  said  somebody  ran  out  of  the  hotel 
by  way  of  the  ladies'  entrance,  but  we 
could  ascertain  no  more. 

It  was  now  almost  morning,  but  I  re- 
tired, weary  and  oppressed,  and  soon  fell 
asleep.  When  I  awoke  it  was  after  sun- 
rise, and  I  felt  considerably  refreshed.  I 
remembered  now  that  this  was  the  day 
of  the  reception  of  the  Prince  of  Wales, 
and  that  I  had  many  things  to  do ;  that 
I  must  go  with  Prescott  to  see  Scott ; 
that  I  had  to  re-read  to  the  President  his 
own  message ;  that  I  wanted  to  see  Ann 
Underbill  and  Vickey,  and  also  the  Judge. 
My  servant  told  me  the  bootmaker  had 
sent  home  my  new  boots,  and  he  wanted 
to  know  which  I  would  wear.  I  told  him 
the  new  ones,  and  I  asked  him  if  the  old 
ones  were  to  be  found ;  and  he  said,  "  Yes, 
I  have  just  polished  them."  Again  I  was 
puzzled  about  the  scene  I  had  heard  dur- 
ing the  night,  but  I  banished  it,  for  I  was 
resolved  to  have  a  good  time  to-day, 
whether  I  was  to  be  killed  or  not. 

Accordingly,  I  sallied  forth,  having 
previously  armed  myself  with  a  six-inch 
Colt's  revolver  and  an  excellent  bowie 
knife.  This  was  the  first  day  of  my  life 
I  carried  deadly  weapons.  But  the  con- 
dition of  society  rendered  life  as  insecure 
as  it  is  in   Christian  Italy  or   Spain.     I 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


51 


knew  plenty  of  criminals,  but  I  dared 
not  report  them  to  officers  of  Govern- 
ment, for  they  were  all  in  partnership. 
So,  I  must  need  defend  myself;  and, 
being  withal  a  man  of  great  physical 
strength,  I  felt  not  at  all  inclined  to 
avoid  a  contest,  just  in  order  that  I 
might  see  what  execution  I  could  do. 
When  I  entered  the  side-room  for  my 
breakfast,  I  ordered  the  doors  opened, 
for  it  was  quite  warm.  Right  before  me, 
in  the  ladies'  drawing-room,  stood  Wads- 
worth  and  Ann  Underbill ;  she  was  again 
at  the  piano,  and  he  standing  by  her  side. 
He  was  certainly  in  grief  for  the  deplor- 
able prospects  of  the  nation,  and  she  was 
more  serious  than  common.  "  Can  it  be," 
I  said  to  myself,  "  she  is  so  fond  of  him  ? 
To  all  others  she  is  so  gay  and  frolicsome, 
but  before  him  she  is  shorn  of  all  the  glit- 
ter of  earthly  things.  Her  accomplish- 
ments are  gone  ;  her  winning  speeches  are 
finished,  but  more  gentleness  she  hath. 
Oh,  what  a  comment  is  this  on  the  frivo- 
lous show  that  maidens  sigh  for !  So 
powerless  she  droops,  when  once  the 
genial  flame  comes  o'er  her.  And  he, 
too ;  his  rhetoric  and  philosophy,  and 
his  foreign  travels,  are  all  blotted  out. 
As  simple  as  doves  and  as  harmlessly,  do 
the  great  and  good  in  tenderness  strip 
themselves  to  the  naked  heart ;  and  when 
once  seen,  all  the  world  cannot  cancel 
their  happiness.  They  may  be  crossed 
and  tossed  and  tried  in  all  ways,  but 
never,  never  can  the  sweetness  of  their 
joys  grow  less,  or  for  a  moment  fade 
from  memory."  As  I  pondered  on  this, 
the  while  beholding  the  only  idol  I  had 
ever  prayed  for,  the  only  one  whose  hapju- 
ness  I  prized  as  highly  as  I  did  my  own  ; 
and,  too,  beholding  a  man  that  had  in  so 
short  an  acquaintance  bound  me  to  him 
more  sacredly  than  had  any  other  I  ever 
met,  I  felt  that  it  would  matter  little 
whether  I  was  killed  in  some  street  affray 
or  not.  The  darkest  of  forebodings  swept 
over  me.  Every  way  was  my  ill  fortune 
certain.  Not  that  I  would  stand  in  the 
way  of  two  true  lovers.  Not  that  I  would 
kill  myself.  I  would  conceal  my  feelings, 
or  go  so  far  away  they  would  never  hear 
of  me,  all  in  order  that  they  might  not 
be  unhappy.  But  whether  they  do  truly 
love — that  was  my  question.  I  said  to 
myself,  when  I  was  young,  reading  of 
love  affairs,  Why  do  not  lovers  ask  and 
answer  as  they  would  for  a  pair  of 
gloves  ?  But  I  now  feel  the  sacred  bar- 
rier the  Almighty  hand  has  before  me. 
It  is  a  theme  on  which  the  tongue  can- 
not come.  True  love  makes  us  all  dumb  ; 
it  has  no  explanation.     The  Great  Unseen 


moves  us  as  if  we  were  chess-men.  If  we 
are  stubborn,  we  fall ;  but  if  we  go  as  we 
are  moved,  we  come  to  glory.  Tears 
started  to  my  eyes,  but  I  banished  them. 
Why  shall  we  weep  ?  to-day  is  a  festival, 
to-morrow  we  die*  Shall  my  death  make 
others  grieve  ?  No,  'tis  better  I  live  and 
die  a  bachelor,  for  then  I  am  in  possession 
of  my  whole  self,  and  there  is  no  loss  when 
I  am  gone. 

But  while  I  pondered  thus,  and  thus 
breakasted,  there  came  up  through  the 
hall  Judge  Francis.  With  his  fingers 
clutched  round  the  necks  of  half  a  dozen 
bottles  of  sparkling  Catawba,  and  his  hat 
set  up  so  trim  and  gay,  he  shouted, 
"  Glorious  be  the  day  !  "  and  he  held  up 
the  bottles  and  winked  right  merrily. 
"  Once  in  a  while,"  said  he,  "  the  man  is 
bowed  down,  but  ever  follows  a  bright 
morning's  sun,  and  it  has  such  a  face,  no 
thought  of  grievance  enters  there.  Say, 
you  Mr.  Jenkins,  some  men  are  happy 
before  they  become  men,  and  some  are 
happy  about  that  time,  but  others  do 
not  receive  their  happiness  till  the  show 
of  silver  waves  on  the  wise  old  head,  and 
then,  all  the  stored-up  energies  of  a  long 
life  come  rushing  in  a  perfect  torrent 
through  his  every  nerve  and  fibre.  These 
bottles — you  see  how  dingy  they  are — I 
have  for  five-and-twenty  years  kept  stored 
away,  ever  having  bound  myself  that  only 
one  thing  in  all  the  events  of  life  could 
induce  me  to  bring  them  forth.  And 
now,  behold,  with  what  pleasurable 
alacrity  I  wring  their  necks  !  " 

I  burst  out  laughing,  asking  if  he  was 
going  to  marry  ;  and  he  said, 

"  What !  a  man  of  my  age  ?  I  would 
not  think  of  such  a  thing." 

"  I  thought  not,"  said  I ;  "  your  gray 
hairs  incline  you  more  to  the  grave." 

"  Oh !  not  that,"  said  he,  "  for  I  am  yet 
quite  young ;  so  young,  indeed,  that  if 
there  were  to  be  war  I  venture  they  would 
have  me  on  the  roll.  Do  you  know,  Mr. 
Jenkins,  what  a  strange  thing  is  love  ? 
When  I  was  twelve  years  old,  no  higher 
than  to  a  lady's  waist,  I  always  fancied 
girls  of  seventeen.  Well,  when  I  was 
twenty-five  my  fancy  went  for  girls  of 
seventeen  also  ;  and  now  that  I  am  almost 
a  middle-aged  man,  it  still  runs  on  seven- 
teen. Indeed,  I  think  love  has  more  phi- 
losophy in  it  than  most  men  imagine." 

When  he  said  this  he  had  come  near 
me,  and,  looking  up,  saw  his  niece  and 
Wadsworth  in  the  parlor,  and  I  thought 
he  was  displeased,  for  he  said,  "  I  am  sure 
I  care  no  more  about  that  than  you  do. 
But  come,"  and  he  pulled  me  after  him. 
When  we   arrived   in  the   ante-room  we 


52 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


met  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edge,  to  whom  lie  [ 
began  about  bis  wines.  I  was  anxious  | 
to  get  up  to  the  White  House,  and  tooki 
this  opportunity  to  leave  them.  I  met 
the  clerk  in  the  office,  and  told  him  to 
have  an  eye  and  ear  on  the  Judge,  so  he 
could  relate  his  affairs  to  me  afterward. 
He  told  me  he  would,  but  he  directed  me 
to  pass  through  the  verandah  and  there 
behold  such  another  scene  as  I  had  never 
dreamed  of.  I  did  so.  Vickey  was  weep- 
ing, and  Prescott,  having  just  left  her, 
was  passing  down  toward  the  avenue, 
where  the  great  throng  of  visitors  were 
wending  their  way  in  the  most  smiling 
confusion.  I  stood  in  this  position  for  a 
moment,  thinking  of  Vickey  weeping, 
thinking  what  an  eventful  day  this  was 
to  Washington,  and  thinking  of  Prescott, 
now  limping  on  before  me.  In  half  a 
minute  more  he  halted,  examined  his 
boot,  then  returned,  still  limping.  "  I 
have  something  in  my  boot,"  he  said,  as 
soon  as  he  drew  near,  going  to  the  other 
end  of  tho  verandah.  I  followed  near, 
and  saw  him  seat  himself  and  withdraw 
his  boot.  He  winced.  The  thought  of 
a  poisoned  boot  came  to  mind  at  once. 
We  then  examined  the  boot,  and  near 
the  ankle,  where  the  leather  is  soft,  we 
found  injected  a  small  instrument,  the 
size  of  a  pin's  point.  Could  it  be  this 
was  charged  with  poison,  and  meant  to 
be  an  instrument  of  death  ?  Certain  we 
were  that  it  was  a  manufactured  instru- 
ment. It  was  pointed  at  both  ends ;  it 
looked  like  type  metal.  I  then  told  Pres- 
cott about  the  persons  I  heard  in  the  hall 
at  night.  He  said  he  heard  nothing  of 
it,  but  that  his  boots  were  also  left  stand- 
ing in  the  hall.  Again  we  entered  the 
hotel,  and  I  rang  for  my  servant,  and 
ordered  him  to  bring  my  boots.  As  soon 
as  they  were  brought,  Prescott  and  I  went 
into  the  ante-room,  and  there  examined 
them.  Exactly  in  a  similar  part  of  the 
boot  was  an  instrument  identically  the 
same.  As  we  were  examining  these  little 
weapons,  one  of  them  came  off  at  the 
end,  and  a  bluish  water  escaped.  "  Now, 
I  know  a  man,1'  said  Prescott,  "  can  tell 
us  what  this  is.  He  is  an  old  man  in 
Mark's  drug  store,  a  German,  who  can 
tell  you  the  simples  and  the  components 
of  all  things.  The  object  of  these  was, 
no  doubt,  to  be  our  death ;  but  my  skin, 
from  having  been  a  barefoot  boy,  requires 
a  stronger  machine.  Had  that  point  en- 
tered the  skin,  the  top  would  have  come 
off,  and  this  fluid  would  have  entered." 

We  immediately  repaired  to  the  drug 
store,  and  sought  out  the  old  man  referred 
to.     He  took  it  in  his  hand,  then  laid  it 


on  a  watch  crystal  and  readjusted  his 
spectacles.  He  looked  at  us  with  some 
amazement,  saying,  "  Where  did  you  get 
it  ? "  We  told  him  the  nature  of  the 
case  made  it  necessary  not  to  till  at  pres- 
ent. "  I  have  not  seen  one  of  those  in 
forty  years,"  said  he.  "  They  are  called 
King's  Capsules.  It  is  an  Italian  inven- 
tion, and  is  an  excellent  illustration  of 
wdiat  degenerate  nations  busy  their  brains 
with.  Instead  of  steam  and  telegraph, 
they  take  to  these  things."  He  then  in- 
verted another  glass  over  it,  stopping  the 
scam  with  a  solution  of  iron  and  flowers 
of  sulphur.  With  a  quick  motion  he 
jarred  the  capsule  asunder,  and  the 
liquid  that  escaped  turned  to  bright  red 
fumes.  "  The  quarter  of  that,"  he  con- 
tinued, "  injected  in  an  abrasion  of  your 
skin,  would  produce  death  in  one  hour. 
It  is  concentrated  hydrocyanic  acid.  You 
should  be  given  over  to  the  authorities 
for  even  having  such  a  thing  in  your  pos- 
session." We  told  him  how  we  found 
them,  and  also  asked  him  if  there  could 
be  any  danger  of  Prescott  having  been 
already  poisoned ;  but  he  said  no ;  that, 
as  it  had  not  entered  the  skin,  nor  been 
broken,  he  need  take  no  trouble  about  it. 
We  told  him,  too,  that  we  had  no  posi- 
tive evidence  who  put  them  in  our  boots. 
We  were,  of  course,  somewhat  concerned 
at  this  attempt  at  our  destruction,  and  es- 
pecially so  since  there  was  no  way  of  re- 
dress.  Prescott  had  been  already  that 
morning  to  advise  with  Scott  about  the 
remarkable  meeting  we  attended  the 
night  before ;  but  he  had  obtained  only 
the  same  misfortunate  suggestion,  "  No 
power  to  do  anything.  Those  in  office 
will  do  nothing.  The  President  still 
keeps  the  Secretary  of  War  in  his  Cabi- 
net, though  he  knows  he  is  using  the 
nation's  arms  for  the  nation's  overthrow." 
And  then  Prescott  went  on,  "  We  can  do 
nothing  with  them  for  their  resolutions 
last  night.  It  is  a  free  country.  They 
are  free  to  speak  wdiat  they  will,  and  they 
are  free  to  do  what  they  will.  Hence 
there  is  no  treason ;  but  even  if  there 
was,  there  are  no  officers  to  try  them. 
So,  why  shall  we  grieve  or  bother  our 
heads  about  the  matter  ?  See  these 
crowds  of  thoughtless  people,  flocking 
here  to  see  the  Prince  of  Wales ;  how 
little  they  dream  of  the  threatening  wand 
waving  over  them." 

Shortly  after  this  we  separated,  he  for 
his  own  affairs,  and  I  for  the  Mansion, 
where  I  arrived  in  a  few  minutes.  The 
President  was  waiting  for  me,  and  I  saw 
at  a  glance,  as  he  rose  to  shake  hands,  he 
was  pale  and  fatigued.     "  Come,"  said  he, 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


53 


after  we  took  our  seats  at  the  desk,  "  you 
that  are  gifted  in  the  use  of  words  and 
the  framing  of  sentences,  see  what  I  have 
penned  this  morning,  in  a  lonely  hour. 
Perhaps  you  can  set  it  in  a  good  shape, 
and  give  it  to  the  country  at  large,  _  so 
they  will  not  torment  me  with  their  criti- 
cisms for  my  official  conduct." 

I  took  the  paper  up,  and  read  the  fol- 
lowing lines,  which  he  said  he  thought 
should  precede  the  message  : 

"  O  bitter,  bitter  office  of  the  great, 
Why  has  no  hand  a  star  in  thee  implanted, 
Showing  the  conscience  how  to  steer— to  hold 
Together  all  the  fragments  of  a  State  ?  . 
Or  is  it  so,  that  we  are  instruments, 
And  nations  perish,  sans  the  will  of  man, 
From  the  enormity  of  their  own  crimes? 
Me  seems  to  feel,  however  squelched  this  fire 
On  surface  is,  spontaneous  smoulder  lits 
Deep  sunken  in  our  great  republic, 
Sooner  or  late  'twill  blow,  and  burst  in  wrath 
Upon  the  heads  of  these  incendiaries. 
However  done  :  however  not  begun  ; 
However  eniled,  and  by  all  my  acts, 
For  good  or  bad,  that  I  do  play  my  part, 
Even  so  by  ail,  and  for  all  time  to  come 
Shall  I  be  cursed  by  my  own  countrymen. 
I  am  a  target  twixt  fcwu  foolish  parties, 
Even  as  if  heaven  had  chosen  me  for  their  martyr. 
I've  struggled  hard ;  my  fault  is  not  mine  own, 
But  my  country's ;  they  do  not  understand 
The  Constitution.    All  our  grief  is  there, 
And  there  we  must  seek  out  the  panacea. 
For,  mark  the  point,  the  Constitution  is, 
And  is  for.     But,  if  that  for  be  not  for, 
Which  they  suppose — these  my  countrymen, 
They  are  right  unright  in  seeing  as  they  do. 
But,  when  the  Constitution  is  and  was, 
And  is  and  was  for  us,  while  the  parties 
Both  misconstrued  it  to  seem  what  is  not, 
Or  is  not  for  a  purpose,  then  it  follows, 
They  do  not  understand  it.    That's  the  matter, 
So  does  it  follow  also  I  shall  wiite 
A  message  and  explain  these  things  to  them." 

He  eyed  me  for  some  time,  evidently 
wishing  me  to  say  something  appreciative 
of  this  poetical  feat,  while  I  was  as  anx- 
iously trying  to  discover  some  means  of 
withholding  it  from  the  public.  I  had  no 
doubt,  however,  now  about  the  condition 
of  his  mind.  But  I  knew,  if  I  disclosed 
it  to  the  country  at  large,  it  would  be  a 
serious  misfortune,  if  not  result  in  the 
entire  destruction  of  the  republic.  I  told 
him  it  was  certainly  the  truth,  and  but 
for  its  arrangement  it  should  be  inserted 
as  a  preface  to  his  forthcoming  message. 

When  I  thus  encouraged  him,  he  started 
up :  "I  tell  you,"  said  he,  "  even  yet  the 
country  may  be  saved,  if  it  will  hearken 
to  our  counsel.  I  have  here  a  letter  from 
Bishop  Hopkins,  and  here  a  sermon  from 
Boyden,  of  Hopedale,  Virginia,  on  the 
'  Epidemic  of  the  Nineteenth  Century ; 
the  Sympathy  for  the  Enslaved.'  "With 
these  and  the  Constitution  the  country 
must  stand."  I  took  the  productions 
spoken  of,  and  was  about  to  peruse  them, 
when  in  came  the  two  reverend  gentle- 
men authors  alluded  to.  Very  cordially 
Buchanan  received  them,  and  gave  me  an 


introduction.  Hopkins  at  once  took  up 
his  letter,  remarking,  "  In  this  will  you 
find  all  the  substance  of  the  dispute ;  and 
1  have  so  argued  it  that  I  almost  per- 
suaded myselt  black  is  white.  The  prim- 
eval condition  of  the  black  man,  the  stig- 
ma the  Creator  put  upon  him  when  he  slew 
Abel,  have  I  so  set  down  that  all  parties 
cannot  but  see  the  wisdom  of  the  All-wise 
Ruler  of  the  universe  in  giving  them  over 
into  eternal  bondage  to  the  white  man. 
I  have  shown  the  glory  of  God  in  the 
elevation  of  the  white  man,  whose  tri- 
umphs have  been  the  only  contribution 
to  civilization,  religion,  and  liberty.  I 
have  here  pictured  this  same  white  man 
in  his  glory  and  ease,  seeking  out  the  de- 
generate African,  and  bringing  him  over 
here  and  teaching  him  to  toil,  and  to  be- 
hold the  beauties  of  Christianity.  I  have 
shown  how  the  black  man  is  to  be  en- 
lightened ;  and  how,  by  doing  the  drud- 
gery of  life,  he  gives  the  white  man  time 
and  liberty  to  ascertain  the  laws  of  God. 
In  fact,  I  have  so  explained  the  degrada- 
tion of  labor,  that  even  the  men  in  the 
free  States  must  acknowledge  the  blessing 
of  our  Divine  institution  of  slavery." 
And  with  much  pride  the  reverend  father 
slapped  the  paper  on  the  desk,  and  pouted 
his  lips  as  if  the  argument  wTas  finished. 

"  Truly  has  he  spoken,"  said  Boyden, 
"  and  in  the  same  chain  of  argument  I 
have  here  a  sermon  on  the  hardships  of 
the  owner  of  the  slave.  I  have  shown 
him,  with  all  the  cares  of  his  slaves  on 
his  own  back,  while  the  slave  goes  scot 
free  of  all  concern.  The  master  I  have 
shown  with  Christian  care  watching  over 
his  slaves,  giving  his  whole  life  to  their 
service.  In  fact,  I  have  proved  him  to 
be  the  greater  slave  of  the  two ;  and 
proved  also,  tha.t,  whoever  meddles  with 
his  property  deserves  an  ignominious 
death  ;  and,  moreover,  that  all  the  hatred 
against  a  slave-owner  springs  from  the 
fact  that  he  can  accumulate  wealth  easier 
and  faster  than  the  man  who  hires  his 
labor  done."  And  he  smiled,  as  if  his 
triumph  must  go  before  the  world  for  all 
time. 

"But  have  you  proved  that  the  poor 
should  be  contented  with  their  lot  ?  "  said 
Buchanan.  "  That  too  much  freedom  in 
this  country  is  what  is  doing  all  the  mis- 
chief? That  such  ignorant  people  should 
not  be  taught  to  aspire  to  liberty  till  they 
could  understand  the  Constitution  ?  " 

Both  the  divine  gentlemen  assured  him 
they  had  done  so,  and  he  seemed  much 
pleased.  Soon  after  this  the  reverend 
doctors  left  us.  Buchanan  then  said  he 
intended  to  have  these  sermons  both  pub- 


54 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


lished  in  every  Democratic  paper  all  over 
the  country.*  The  President  then  assured 
me  that  he  felt  very  much  better  and 
stronger  than  he  had  for  many  weeks ; 
and  he  told  me  that,  since  this  was  the 
day  of  the  reception,  he  had  concluded 
to  do  nothing  further  about  the  message 
at  present,  signifying  that  I  might  leave 
him.  I  told  him  I  had  important  matters 
to  relate  to  him,  bearing  upon  the  condi- 
tion of  the  country.  "  If  you  please," 
said  I,  "  we  will  sit  awhile,  and  you  shall 
hear  something  terrible."  He  looked  anx- 
iously at  me,  for  he  was  in  a  mood  to  be 
frightened,  and  I  then  related  to  him  all 
I  saw  on  the  previous  evening ;  of  the 
resolutions ;  the  minute-men ;  the  deter- 
mination to  seize  the  whole  Government ; 
and  then  of  our  detection  and  final  es- 
cape ;  and  of  the  attempt  to  poison  Pres- 
cott  and  myself.  When  I  finished,  I  saw 
he  was  deathly  pale,  with  large  tear-drops 
in  his  eyes,  and  he  remarked,  "  Alas !  alas  | 
'tis  done  !  I  am  the  last  that  will  ever  be 
President  of  these  United  States."  f  He 
bowed  his  head  on  my  shoulder  and 
sobbed  for  a  moment,  then,  raising  him- 
self upward,  continued  :  "  When  I  came 
into  office,  it  was  reported  that  this  same 
party  attempted  to  take  my  life  by  poison- 
ing the  National  Hotel,  in  order  that  the 
whole  Government  might  come  into  the 
control  of  my  friend  Breckenridge.  I 
never  believed  it  in  full  till  now." 

"  Then  did  Providence  avert  that  fell 
calamity  to  this  nation,"  said  I,  "  and  it 
now  remains,  with  these  warnings  before 
us,  that  we  arm  ourselves  in  time  to  pre- 
vent the  nation's  overthrow.'1 

"  No,"  said  he,  "  no  !  No  more  arming. 
To  arm  against  these  men  is  but  to  give 
them  arms.  Only  one  mode  can  avert 
the  coming  storm ;  we  must  concede  to 
the  slave  States  their  full  and  honest  de- 
mands." 

This  was  the  substance  of  all  we  said 
about  the  matter  on  this  occasion,  it  being 
high  time  for  me  to  leave.  Accordingly, 
without  much  form  or  ceremony,  he  hav- 
ing told  me  that  he  should  not  mature 

*  Jenkins  here  handed  me  a  slip  which  he  had 
pinned  in  the  manuscript  at  this  place,  which  is  to 
say,  that  I,  the  writer  of  this  invaluable  history, —am 
obliged  to  shame  the  name  of  my  country  by  stating 
that  Buchanan's  purpose  was  carried  oiit,  and  that 
every  democratic  paper  in  the  country  published  the 
two  sermon:-  referred  to  ;  many  of  them  eulogizing  the 
articles  as  the  ablest  productions  that  ever  came  from 
man.  Though  I  do  it,  it  almost  draws  forth  tears  of 
blood.  So  degenerate  is  my  country.  Almost  BE  bad 
as  the  British  cramming  opium  down  the  heathen's 
throats  with  their  swords'  points,  and  England's  home 
Christians  the  while,  blinded  by  national  gain,  laud- 
ing the  act  as  a  mission  from  Heaven. 

t  For  several  months  prior  to  the  termination  of 
Lie  administration  he  frequently  used  those  words. 


the  message  until  after  the  election,  which 
was  to  be  in  two  days  hence,  I  took  my 
departure,  carrying  orders  to  the  different 
diplomatic  corps  about  the  reception  and 
procession.  I  then  hurried  down  to  the 
Jackson  House,  where  we  were  to  get 
positions  in  the  Judge's  carriage,  as  much 
for  the  purpose  of  seeing  Mrs.  Lucy  Ta- 
biatha  Stinipkins  as  for  seeing  the  Prince 
and  Duke.  What  was  my  surprise  in  not 
finding  Wadsworth  or  Prescott,  though 
we  had  all  talked  of  going  together. 
The  Judge,  with  new  gloves  and  hat,  was 
promenading  on  the  verandah  with  Mrs. 
Edge,  talking  with  more  importance  than 
I  had  ever  seen  him  before.  The  clerk 
winked  at  me,  called  me  aside,  and  told 
me  this  story :  "  Do  you  know,"  said  he, 
"  that  old  fool  thinks  he  is  engaged  to 
Miss  Edge  ?  And  that  Miss  Edge  thinks 
she  is  engaged  to  Prescott  ?  I  crammed 
her,"  he  continued,  "  that  Prescott  so 
understood  it,  and  so  did  her  father  and 
mother."  I  told  the  clerk  to  tell  me  all 
about  it.  "  Very  well,"  said  he  ;  "  I  found 
her  in  the  parlor  a  little  while  ago,  and 
asked  her  when  her  marriage  was  to  come 
off.  She  laughed,  and  seemed  a  little  sur- 
prised. Then,  as  I  said  before,  I  crammed 
her — told  her  all  the  city  was  on  tip-toe 
about  it.  She  said  it  was  strange,  very 
strange,  that  she  should  be  engaged  and 
not  know7  it.  '  Why,'  said  I,  '  who  ever 
heard  tell  of  a  gentleman  of  high  rank 
speaking  plainer  than  he  does  ?  And 
you  have  yourself  so  virtuously  answered 
him,  that  all  the  city  is  alive  with  your 
praises.'  '  Well,'  said  she,  '  that's  not  the 
way  I  like  it,  nor  is  it  the  way  they  do 
in  Philadelphia.'  '  Why,'  said  I,  '  do  you 
know  what  Prescott's  worth  ?  He  is  worth 
half  a  million.'  '  And  does  he,'  said  she, 
'  really  call  this  an  engagement  ? '  'Of 
course,'  said  I ;  '  did  he  not  so  express 
himself  to  you  this  morning  ? '  '  Oh, 
no  ! '  said  she ;  '  he  said  nothing  of  love. 
He  talked  only  of  the  affairs  of  the  coun- 
try, and  he  did  so  fervently  portray  the 
coming  downfall,  that  I  wept  most  bit- 
terly. I  never  heard  such  fluent  words  in 
all  my  life,  and  I  was  so  charmed  withal 
I  remember  nothing  he  said.  And  then, 
when  he  went  away,  I  almost  sighed  that 
he  was  gone.'  And  then  I  told  her  that 
he  told  me  he  slept  not  a  wink  last  night ; 
that,  as  oft  as  he  began  to  doze,  her  own 
dear  form  appeared  beside  him,  and  he 
thought  the  music  of  her  voice  came  also. 
'  Now,'  said  Vickey,  '  this  is  strange — very 
strange  indeed  ; '  and,  half  weeping,  she 
withdrew.  In  another  moment  Prescott 
came  in,  and  he  spoke  kindly  to  her,  of 
the  promise  of  a  fair  day.     Then  she  said, 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN    1860. 


55 


pleadingly  and  prettily,  '  Did  you  tell  the 
clerk  you  did  not  sleep  last  night  for  those 
roguish  thoughts  ? '  'I  did,'  said  Pres- 
cott ;  'and  they  rest  seriously  on  rny 
heart ' — for  he  thought  she  meant  the 
affairs  of  state.  Now,  when  he  told  her 
this,  the  tears  started  afresh  to  her  eyes, 
and  she,  smiling  the  while,  went  out,  say- 
ing, '  You  need  not  speak  so  coldly.' 
Prescott  knew  not  what  to  make  of  her 
conduct,  and  so  he  asked  me.  I  told  him 
she  was  in  love  with  Wadsworth,  and  that 
her  sympathies  were  perhaps  inclined  to 
consider  that,  if  there  is  to  be  a  national 
conflict,  he  may  suffer  seriously.  '  Does 
she  love  him?'  said  Prescott;  and  I  an- 
swered I  feared  so.  Thus  the  matter 
stands,"  continued  the  clerk.  "  I  have 
made  love  for  them  all  this  morning,  and 
may  the  graces  forgive  me  for  the  lies  I 
told."  I  told  the  clerk,  that  if  I  were 
inclined  to  write  the  history  of  love  and 
war  in  Washington,  I  would  hardly  dare 
to  tell  the  truth,  lest  the  perfect  parallel 
of  these  eccentric  affairs  might  make 
people  call  it  a  novel  of  the  first  water. 
But  I  hope,  I  continued,  that  the  Jackson 
House  will  not  acquire  too  much  notori- 
ety for  making  ill  matches.  Before  I  said 
more,  he  stretched  himself  upward,  look- 
ing through  the  window.  "  As  I  am  a 
clerk,  I  do  say ! "  said  he,  "  if  yonder 
does  not  go  the  Professor  and  Mrs.  Lucy 
Tabiatha  Stimpkins.  Say,  I  will  follow 
them,  to  learn  the  stand  they  make ;  you 
bring  on  the  company.  We  shall  see  her 
prostrate  herself  before  England's  king 
expectant."  And  sure  enough,  he  started 
out  and  after  them.  I  at  once  started  for 
the  Judge,  and  found  him  in  the  out-hall, 
standing  face  to  face  with  Vickey.  In 
one  hand  his  hat,  and  in  the  other  a  huge 
bouquet  of  flowers.  He  was  bowing,  say- 
ing, "  As  often  as  they  perish,  you  see,  I 
am  ready  with  another,  fair  accompani- 
ments to  the  fair.  Accept  them,  and  in 
every  tinge  of  color,  in  all  the  mingled 
fragrance,  and  in  these  promising  buds, 
behold  how  sweet  a  thing  is  the  passing 
moment,  how  kindly  and  tenderly  must 
we  cherish  that  which  from  nature 
springs ;  for  lo,  a  breath,  a  careless 
breath,  may  soil  and  blemish  it.  Take 
them,  though  I  do  envy  them  their 
biding  place." 

"  Why,  really,  Judge,"  said  she,  "  one 
would  think  you  are  in  love,  for  the  many 
kind  remembrances  you  give  me.  You 
almost  make  me  dream  of  such  things 
myself." 

"  Ah,  indeed,  dearest !  "  said  he.  "  I 
hope  we  understand  each  other,  and  that 
the  idle  talk  of  common  lovers  may  not 


find  a  place  with  us.  We  must  conduct 
ourselves  in  the  true  path  of  noble  per- 
sonages." 

"Oh,  forgive  me ! M  said  she,  taking 
the  flowers.  "  I  could  not  be  idle-spoken 
to  you ; "  and  she  kissed  him  and  ran 
away,  but,  ere  she  went  far,  she  returned, 
saying,  "  Now,  Judge,  I  tell  you,  these 
flowers  are  beautiful,  and  I  thank  you 
heartily.  With  these  I  shall  indeed  vie 
with  the  Prince's  mother,  Victoria  !  Oh, 
would  it  not  be  an  excellent  joke,  when 
the  Prince  passes,  I  toss  these  flowers  to 
him,  with  the  inscription,  From  Vic- 
toria !  " 

"  Ah  !  but,  dearest,  they  were  culled  for 
thee !  " 

"  But  only  for  a  joke,  you  know.  You 
could  easily  replace  them  with  others,  and 
then  I  should  prize  the  second  ones  higher 
for  having  parted  with  these." 

"  Really  ?  Why,  do  you  know  that 
over  each  of  these  tiny  blossoms  I  have 
in  my  dreams  seen  you  pondering  to 
catch  my  lapsing  thoughts,  to  dive  to 
the  mysteries  and  richness  of  my  heart  ? 
And  would  you  toss  them  away  so 
thoughtlessly  ? " 

"  Well,  then,  no — I  would  not ;  I  will 
keep  them  as  happy  memories  ;  "  and  she 
kissed  at  the  flowers,  and  playfully  ran 
off. 

"  Oh,  what  a  treasure  she  is ! "  said 
Judge  Francis.  "  For  fifty  years  I  have 
not  known  what  it  was  to  live.  On,  on 
in  my  grovelling  way  for  half  a  century, 
ignorant  of  the  joys  of  love  till  the  spark 
is  turned  to  a  flame  by  a  rosy,  romping 
girl  of  seventeen.  Glory  be  to  the  heav- 
ens, to  the  stars,  to  the  moon,  the  fates, 
cupids,  and  all  the  blunderbusses  of  the 
spiritual  fire,  to  think  that  the  little  spark 
in  my  breast  lived  so  long  without  any- 
thing to  feed  upon !  But  oh,  what  a 
rapid  growth  it  has  !  First  it  quickeneth 
the  breath  when  its  idol  speaks ;  then  it 
fluttereth  the  heart,  and  hot  burnings 
come  to  the  cheek ;  then  to  the  extreme 
parts  of  the  person  it  finds  way,  and 
chords  in  full  time  all  the  elements  of 
the  thing  man,  till  his  aged  limbs  are 
quick,  his  mind  vigorous  to  overflowing, 
and  needs  must  vent  itself  in  squibs  of 
poetry,  and  a  plentiful  vent  of  flowery 
romances." 

Now,  when  I  saw  Vickey  was  gone,  I 
came  up  behind  the  Judge,  even  while  he 
was  speaking,  and  I  told  him  he  seemed 
to  be  discoursing  on  love. 

"  Oh,  no  !  "  said  he,  "  I  was  just  speak- 
ing of  the  growth  of  this  country.  What 
a  rapid  growth  it  has  had !  But,  sir,  I 
fear  me  'tis  near  an  end  now." 


56 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER. 


Just  then  the  clerk  came  running  in, 
and  told  us  to  start  at  once,  or  the  pro- 
cession would  be  over  before  we  could 
arrive.  So,  accordingly,  we  were  soon 
ready  for  the  Judge's  carriage,  but  neither 
Wadsworth  nor  Prescott  came.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Edge,  Vickey,  the  Judge,  and  myself, 
were  all.  When  we  were  out  on  the  walk 
waiting,  I  drew  near  to  Ann,  and,  as  a 
faithful  recorder  of  events,  I  will  write 
down  what  passed  between  us,  that  the 
world  may  judge  accordingly.  She  look- 
ed at  me  roguishly,  and,  smiling,  said, 

"  Mr.  Jenkins,  you  come  too  near  me — 
entirely  too  near  !  " 

"  Too  near  for  what  ?  "  said  I.     "  Can- 
not you  breathe  ?  " 

"  Don't  talk  to  me ;  my  head  aches," 
said  she.  But  I  replied  that,  to  talk  was 
to  divert ;  that  diversion  was  good  for 
headache.  That,  therefore,  I  must  talk 
to  cure  ber. 

"  No,  I  will  not  have  it  cured ;  I  love 
headache,"  said  she.  "  'Tis  good  com- 
pany when  I  am  melancholy.  I  wish  I 
had  a  Prince  for  a  beau,  then  I  would 
give  him  headache.  You  taught  me ; 
you  aim  at  the  heart,  and  that  makes 
headache.  Now,  I  pray  you,  do  not 
stand  so  near  me ;  people  will  think  I 
am  fond  of  you.  But  I  have  no  heart 
for  anything  but  a  Prince.  You  tease 
me  because  you  happen  so  much  in  my 
company.     Woful  circumstance  !  " 

Then  I  told  her,  if  she  was  not  affecting 
all  this,  she  could  herself  step  a  little  back, 
because  she  stood  as  near  me  as  I  did  to 
her. 

"  Indeed,  I  would  not  humor  you  so 
much,"  said  she,  pettishly,  "  as  to  step 
back  at  your  command.  I  might  cherish 
your  regard  too  much.  Anger  shall  be 
my  study,  and  you  shall  nurture  it  with 
your  presence."  Then  on  the  toe  of  her 
little  shoe  she  dotted  with  her  parasol, 
the  while  smiling  beneath  the  auburn 
curls  that  swung  round  her  down-turned 
face.  For  the  life  of  me  I  could  say  no 
more,  for  the  rapidity  of  my  thoughts 
kept  my  tongue  still.  "  Oh,  but  this 
shoe  hurts  my  foot !  "  said  she.  "  Do 
you  know,  Mr.  Jenkins,  I  want  to  have 
a  game  of  cards  to-night.  You  shall  be 
my  partner,  and  teach  me  how  to  cheat. 
You  shall  teach  me  how  to  sit  silent,  so 
as  to  hide  my  hand.  When  you  play 
hearts.  I'll  play  spades  to  bury  it  with." 

But  before  she  got  further  with  her  run 
on  me,  the  carriage  was  drawn  up  before 
us  and  we  all  got  in  and  started.  By  this 
time  the  streets  were  filled  with  people, 
and  we  were  with  some  difficulty  con- 
veyed down  to  the  open  lot  opposite  the 


old  Methodist  church — the  very  spot,  too, 
cbosen  by  Mrs.  Lucy  Tabiatha  Stimpkins 
and  her  husband,  Professor  Jackson.  The 
former  was  dressed  better  than  I  had  ever 
seen  her,  but  the  latter,  the  real  picture 
of  a  downcast  man,  with  his  long,  faded 
beard  and  uncombed  hair,  his  clothes 
rather  seedy,  struck  our  attention  most. 
Only  a  few  days  married,  and  yet  he  was 
going  all  to  wreck.  But  no  wonder,  when 
we  remember  what  a  wife  he  had.  But 
on  this  occasion  we  had  no  time  for  phi- 
losophy. A  loud  huzza  up  the  street  told 
us  the  Prince  of  Wales  and  Duke  of  New- 
castle were  coming.  They  had  to  pass 
through  this  square  to  the  street  below 
ere  they  could  take  carriages  to  the  Man- 
sion, and  of  course  the  crowd  was  im- 
mense. Pretty  soon  a  gang  of  police 
opened  the  way,  and  the  veritable  heir- 
apparent  to  the  throne  of  Great  Britain 
appeared  before  us.  Quickly  now  Mrs. 
Lucy  sprang  in  before  a  young  little  man 
whom  she  took  to  be  the  Prince,  but  who 
was  really  only  a  servant.  She  pretended 
to  stumble,  and  did  fall  at  his  feet,  crying 
out,  "  Save  me  !  save  me  !  "  In  a  little 
while  the  young  man  caught  hold  of  her, 
and  in  a  blundering  manner  helped  her 
up.  Ad  was  excitement ;  the  police 
rushed  to  the  spot  to  see  that  the  Prince 
should  not  be  overcome  with  joyous 
greetings.  Mrs.  Lucy  shouted  at  the  top 
of  her  shrill  voice,  right  in  the  face  of 
the  chap  that  helped  her  up,  "  Which  is 
the  Prince  ?  which  is  the  Prince  ?  You 
are  so  young,  sir,  and  so  noble  in  your 
bearing,  you  make  me  bold  of  speech. 
Pray  you,  sir,  which  is  the  Prince  ? " 
And  the  chap  hesitated,  and  said,  "  Why, 
madam,  see,  you  are  in  the  way  !  "  But 
she  continued  right  on,  "  I  know  he's  a 
thing  divine,  with  huge  horns,  a  donkey's 
head,  and  rich  robes  round  his  body. 
Quick,  boy !  which  is  the  Prince  ?  I'll 
win  a  smile,  a  princely  smile,  a  special 
legacy  to  outboast  other  women  with." 
Again  he  was  trying  to  say  something, 
but  she  heeded  not.  "  No,  sir,  I  am  not 
insensible  to  my  assumed  satire ;  your  own 
nobleness  has  a  voice  to  speak  without 
words.  I  congratulate  you,  sir,  on  your 
exalted  prospects.  Here,  sir,  keep  most 
sacred  this,  the  parting  kiss,  bestowed  by 
woman,  independent  woman.  In  this 
great  republic  women  are  beginning  to 
speak ;  they  are  rising  above  the  slave- 
bound  women  of  your  old,  worn-out 
monarchism.  Again  I  kiss  your  hand, 
that  you  may  boast  that  this  was  done 
by  one  whose  fame  shall  reach  round  the 
world,  even  Mrs.  Lucv  Tabiatha  Stimp- 
kins." 


58 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


''Stand  back  there,  woman!"  shouted 
the  police.     "  Make  way  for  the  Prince  !  " 

and  in  another  moment  the  Prince  and 
suite  were  past.  Mrs.  Lucy  was  pushed 
aside,  beholding  what  a  fall  here  had 
been;  for  t lie  police  shouted  to  her,  even 
while  she  kissed  his  hands,  "That's  not 
the  Prince  !  Let  thai  servant  go!"  And 
the  servant,  too,  tore  his  hand  away  from 
her,  and  gave  her  a  severe  push  out  of  the 
way.  As  soon  as  she  had  extricated  her- 
self a  little,  she  said,  "<>  insult  profane! 
"What  lack  of  gallantry  do  men  possess! 
Calls  cot  the  modesty  of  my  poor  sex 
for  a  hand  to  shield  me  I  O  Effeminacy, 
die!  Genial,  helpless,  modest  woman, 
die!  Rude  man  plants  his  stern  muscle 
on  as,  and  we  are  dashed  about  as  1  leasts. 
Professor  Jackson,  how  dare  you  !  " 

"  Why,  madam,  I  have  done  nothing!" 
"I  know  that,  to  my  sorrow,"  said  she. 
•'  Why  did  you  not  point  out  to  me  which 
was  the  real  Prince  '(  What  is  the  Prince, 
that  I  should  not  go  to  him  and  speak  as 
I  would  to  any  one  else  '.  Was  I  not  cre- 
ated by  the  same  God  (  Do  I  not  live  on 
the  same  planet  ?  But  you,  Professor — 
you  have  keen  the  stumbling-block  to  the 
whole  affair.  I  never  heard  that  in  our 
new  philosophy  the  husband  was  to  de- 
sert the  wife  i:i  the  hour  of  danger."  He 
endeavored  to  excuse  himself,  by  Baying 
that  the  police  kept  clearing  the  track. 
1  r.t  she  told  him  she  would  not  yield  the 
point ;  that,  had  Jackson  stood  his  ground, 
the  adventure  had  been  a  decided  success. 
"  Cut  I  care  riot,''  she  added  ;  "  the  chap 
I  spoke  to  heard  my  speech,  and  I  am 
sure  it  is  as  much  as  he  can  digest  at  one 
time.  Of  c<  urse,  he  is  a  servant  of  the 
Prince's  suite,  and  he  will  carry  it  all 
back  to  England,  where,  in  due  time,  he 
will  discharge  it  to  the  utter  amazement 
of  English  women,  who  have  not  yet 
awakened  to  their  just  rights." 

We  heard  no  more  ;  the  procession  was 
past;  the  croud  was  flying  on  before,  and 
we  ourselves  had  wheeled  round,  making 
way  for  the  President's  mansion.  Of 
course,  we  had  not  been  idle  spectators 
of  all  that  had  just  passed  before  us.  We 
had  laughed  ourselves  tired  ;  we  had  seen 
the  plain,  unassuming  Prince;  too  young, 
of  course,  to  show  much  signs  of  promise  ; 
and  we  had  seen  how  he  had -been  seen 
by  American  citizens.  Yet  some  darker 
visions  passed  before  us.  One  young 
lady,  Avho,  we  knewr,  once  hoed  corn  in 
the  fields,  but  who  was  now  rich  through 
the  prosperous  avenues  of  a  republican 
government,  sighed  as  the  Prince  passed, 
"  Oh,  I  wish  we  had  a  privileged  aristoc- 
racy here  !  "     By  her  side  stood  a  rude 


Scotch  woman,  who  retorted.  "  And  if  we 
had.  your  nose  wotdd  be  still  at  the  grind- 
stone instead  of  here.  You  know  not. 
young  woman,  what  you  sigh  for."  Then 
there  were  plain  farmers  Btanding  near; 
and  they  -aid.  "Is  it  possible  the  British 
people  wear  the  yoke  of  such  a  boyish 
royalty  :  "  Again  another  retorted,  "  And 
why  not  ?  They  love  BUCh  a  yoke,  for  it 
is  light,  and  -ives  them  rest  from  the 
muddle  of  politicians."  But  now  that 
the  procession  was  over,  all  were  merry, 
and  scampering  oil'  in  their  several  direc- 
tions. Just  as  we  rounded  the  corner  he- 
low  the  church,  I  heard  some  one  calling, 
and,  on  turning  to  look,  saw  Pre-cott. 
lie  was  beckoning  for  us  to  stop,  which 
we  did,  and  he  came  running  up.  Tears 
were  flowing  down  hi-  cheeks,  and  so 
hurried  was  his  speech,  and  withal  stut- 
tering, I  could  hardly  tell  what  lie  want- 
ed. But  he  told  me  for  God's  Bake  to 
excuse  myself  from  the  company,  and 
follow  him.  Ann,  who  had  been  till  now 
exceedingly  merry,  was  frightened,  and  so 
were  Vickey  and  Mrs.  Edge;  but  Judge 
Francis  asked  tor  some  explanation.  "  Ex- 
cuse me,"  said  Prescott,  "'this  is  neither 
time  nor  place  for  me  to  explain  myself. 
In  due  time  yon  shall  know  all." 

I  at  once  dismounted,  and  followed  him, 
ever  remembering  the  lingering  look  of 
gentle  Ann.  When  we  reached  the  avenue, 
only  a  few  paces,  in  fact,  from  where  I 
joined  him,  he  stopped  short,  saying, 

■'My  cousin,  James  Udell,  is  killed — 
murdered  at  the  Planters'  Club  Rooms." 

-  What  !"  said  I.  "  is  it  possible?" 
and  he  assured  me  that  it  was  even  so; 
that  he  had  just  come  from  viewing  his 
mangled  corpse,  and  that  the  inquest  was 
about  to  take  place,  urging  me  to  go  with 
him.  "They  mistrusted."  said  he.  the 
tears  coursing  down  his  cheeks,  "  it  was 
he  who  played  eaves-dropper  at  the  Capi- 
tol.    He  has  been  killed  instead  of  me."' 

Xo  doubt  it  was  so.  for  the  two  were 
alike— as  nearly  alike  as  possible.  He 
had  been  inveigled  into  a  quarrel,  and 
then  Blabbed.  We  took  a  carriage  and 
hastened  to  the  spot  called  the  Planters' 
Club  Rooms,  in  front  of  which  was  already 
assembled  a  large  crowd  of  people.  In  a 
few  moments  we  were  in  the  presence  of 
the  corpse — apparently  a  young  man 
twenty-five  years  of  age.  He  was  stretehei  1 
on  the  floor,  a  pitiful  and  horrid  sight, 
except  his  face,  which  had  all  the  in- 
nocence and  beauty  of  American  youth. 
The  coroner's  court  was  already  in  session. 
The  examination  o'i  the  body  had  just 
been  commenced.  First  the  pockets  were 
examined,  and   in  them  was  found  three 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1S60. 


59 


thousand  dollars.  What  a  comment  was 
this  !  Americans  kill  Americans,  but  not 
for  money.  Not  in  all  the  city  was  an 
American  who  would  have  rifled  these 
pockets.  Oh,  most  wrongly-imputed 
money-making  nation,  what  a  libel  is 
this  on  the  robbers  of  foreign  lands  ! 
And  yet,  oh,  what  a  boast  if  in  one  fell 
moment  man  crosses  the  sacred  threshold 
of  public  opinion  to  meet  with  instant 
death.  But  hear  ye,  ye  electors  of  judges, 
what  a  power  party  has  ! 

Now,  when  the  evidence  was  rendered, 
the  verdict  of  the  jury  was  given  in  these 
words,  to  wit : 

"  That  James  Odell  came  to  his  death 
by  stabs  inflicted  on  his  person  by  sundry 
gentlemen  of  the  club  of  which  he  was 
a  member.  The  jury  further  declare 
that  the  said  James  Odell  used  these 
words : 

"  '  The  Southern  fire-eaters  are  bringing 
mischief  on  the  country,  and  if  I  had  the 
power  I  would  hang  every  one  of  them  ; ' 
which  words  we  deem  so  offensive,  that 
he  met  the  death  he  deserved." 

This  was  indeed  as  shocking  as  the 
mock  trial  of  Brooks  for  his  attempt  to 
murder  Sumner.  It  was  no  law  at  all,  no 
protection  to  life,  and  why  not  ?  Because 
the  coroner's  jury  looked  through  their 
party  spectacles.     What  chance  had  Pres- 


cott  and  I,  if  we  should  in  any  way  be- 
tray what  we  knew  of  the  secret  meetings 
of  the  seceders  ? 

As  fortune  would  have  it,  however,  this 
meeting  had  brought  out  Iverson  and  Wig- 
fall.  Even  while  the  foregoing  scene  was 
being  enacted,  I  overheard  the  former  say 
to  the  latter,  that  if  he  would  come  to  his 
house  at  nine  o'clock  that  night,  he  would 
take  him 

Further  than  this  I  heard  not,  but  sup- 
posed it  to  be  the  secret  meeting  of  the 
seceders.  At  the  time,  however,  I  heeded 
it  little,  having  the  sight  of  the  unfortu- 
nate victim  before  us.  The  coroner  took 
charge  of  the  valuables,  and  ordered  the 
corpse  to  be  buried  properly,  and  then 
the  crowd  dispersed.  While  on  this  sub- 
ject I  will  state,  that  on  the  following  day 
Prescott  and  I  alone  followed  the  remains, 
which  were  conveyed  by  the  grave-diggers 
to  the  final  resting-place.  But  yet,  though 
his  death  was  horrid,  and  our  grief  with- 
out remedy,  similar  scenes  were  already 
begun  all  over  the  Southern  States.  Every 
paper  teemed  with  notices  of  men  being 
shot  or  stabbed  on  the  spot,  for  express- 
ing their  sentiments  in  the  South.  Vigil- 
ance committees  and  minute-men  had 
sprung  into  existence  in  a  day,  and  were 
already  visiting  death  on  every  one  op- 
posed to  Southern  sentiments. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 


On  our  way  back  from  the  funeral,  and 
when  near  the  railroad  station,  we  saw 
my  friend  Wadsworth,  who  came  out  to 
meet  us.  On  his  observing  our  melan- 
choly appearance,  we  told  him  of  the 
murder  done.  "  Ah,  indeed,"  said  he, 
"  this  was  a  horrid  deed.  And  yet  me 
seems  to  feel  this  is  but  the  beginning  of 
a  reign  of  horrors  greater  than  were  ever 
known.  Oh,  that  the  people  North  and 
South  knew  each  other !  Oh,  that  poli- 
ticians were  blotted  from  this  fair  land  ! 
Oh,  that  the  South  knew  the  North  would 
not  harm  their  slavery !  Oh,  that  the 
North  knew  the  slaves  were  content ! 
But,  sirs,  blindness,  madness  rules.  They 
have  ears,  but  hear  not ;  eyes,  but  see 
not."  So  saying,  he  took  my  arm  and 
walked  into  the  station,  pointing  to  thirty 
or  forty  boxes  of  goods.  "  See  here,"  said 
he,  "  this  is  my  winter's  supply  for  my 


slaves.  Think  you  they  will  rebel  against 
me  in  order  to  get  their  freedom  ?  Here 
are  boxes  of  hats  and  bonnets ;  boxes  of 
excellent  cloth,  for  coats  and  trousers ; 
and  here  is  one  of  satin  and  silk,  to 
adorn  them  with  when  going  to  church, 
or  perhaps  to  the  dance,  or  may-be  to 
play  their  pranks  with  Cupid's  bower. 
Why,  sir,  should  you  behold  the  greeting 
they  give  me,  and  should  you  know  their 
own  love  of  dependence  instead  of  inde- 
pendence, you  would  say,  Man  is  foolish 
j  to  grieve  about  such  oppression.  But 
the  vainest  and  simplest  philosophy  ever 
broached  by  any  politician  is  this  mooted 
secession.  Under  the  General  Government 
we  are  protected  in  our  slaves  ;  but  if  the 
South  secedes  and  forms  a  separate  gov- 
ernment, it  will  never  be  protected  by  the 
North.  It  is  throwing  off  protection,  and 
making  an  enemy  on  the  border.     As  for 


60 


THE  FALL  OF  FOET  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


the  grasp  at  the  western  Territories,  it  is 
the  table  again  of  the  dog  crossing  the 
river  with  a  mouthful  of  meat ;  he  saw 
the  shadow,  and  dropped  the  real  to 
catch  that  which  was  nothing." 

"  My  dear  sir,"  said  Prescott,  "  you 
speak  with  great  judgment.  I  would  tbat 
your  wisdom  were  common  amongst  South- 
ern gentlemen."  And  when  he  said  this, 
he  extended  his  hand  as  a  friendly  greeting. 

Now  when  they  had  shaken  hands, 
Wadsworth  said,  looking  at  Prescott,  "  I 
see  you  wear  a  ring  of  an  exalted  degree." 

"  Oh,  I  found  this,"  said  Prescott ;  "  it 
was  in  the  hall  of  the  hotel  where  I  live. 
I  supposed  it  was  of  little  value,  and  be- 
longed to  some  of  the  servants;  but  on 
inquiry,  I  found  such  was  not  the  case." 
He  then  took  it  off  his  finger  and  handed 
it  to  us,  that  we  might  examine  it.  It 
was  an  exceedingly  old  ring,  with  sets  of 
precious  stones  to  form  an  eye,  and  had 
many  signs  engraved  on  it. 

"  That  ring  can  be  traced  to  the  place 
whence  it  came,"  said  Wadsworth,  and 
then  I  too  remarked  that  I  could  read 
the  meaning  of  all  the  characters. 

"  Then,"  said  Prescott,  "  take  the  ring, 
for  it  is  nothing  to  me  ;  perhaps  through 
these  mysterious  characters  you  may  re- 
store it  to  its  owner." 

I  then  told  them  both  that  I  believed 
Madame  Ponchard  or  Orsini  had  dropped 
it  the  night  before ;  and  if  it  had  been 
either  of  them,  I  doubted  whether  they 
came  to  it  by  fair  means.  Wadsworth 
then  took  it,  saying  that  he  would  under- 
take to  unravel  the  mystery ;  that,  small 
and  insignificant  as  it  was,  this  ring  had 
once  come  from  persons  of  more  than 
ordinary  standing  among  men. 

Soon  after  this  we  parted,  each  taking 
some  separate  course,  and  all  under  prom- 
ise to  meet  at  night  at  the  Jackson  House. 
This  promise  I,  however,  made  with  a 
mental  reservation,  secret  in  my  own 
breast.  I  resolved  at  once  I  would  meet 
with  the  secessionists  even  at  the  peril 
of  my  life.  I  must  say,  however,  as  I 
left  Prescott  and  saw  him  turning  up 
toward  the  observatory,  I  really  felt  as 
if  it  were  doubtful  whether  wje  should 
ever  meet  again.  That  we  were  known 
to  be  the  persons  who  entered  the  college 
on  the  previous  evening,  and  that  the 
leading  secessionists  had  determined  to 
kill  us  or  hire  our  killing,  we  had  no 
doubt.  All  they  wanted  was  an  oppor- 
tunity, some  sort  of  pretext ;  and  these 
were  just  what  we  wanted  to  avoid.  For 
my  own  part,  I  resolved  to  be  somebody 
else,  to  play  a  deep  disguise.  But  what 
should  I  assume  ?     Whom  should  I  per- 


sonate ?  Of  course  some  foreigner.  I  had 
it ;  I  would  be  the  correspondent — Clark- 
son — of  the  London  Times.  This  thought 
I  matured  at  once,  and,  to  complete  my 
arrangement,  went  to  an  old  acquaintance 
and  purchased  a  fine  pair  of  horses  and 
a  carriage.  Next  I  got  a  servant  and  dressed 
him  in  livery,  from  Steinberg's  clothing 
store.  By  the  time  I  had  this  all  com- 
pleted it  was  near  night,  and  I  hastened 
to  make  my  entree  into  Washington 
effectual,  by  going  out  of  it  first.  Ac- 
cordingly, 1  drove  up  to  Georgetown,  and 
telegraphed  to  the  Jackson  House  that  I, 
James  Clarkson,  would  be  there  with  my 
carriage  and  pair  by  eight  or  nine  at 
night,  with  letters  to  his  excellency,  the 
President ;  and  a  letter  to  Yancey  also, 
asking  the  proprietor  to  be  good  enough 
to  send  word  to  the  latter  to  meet  me  on 
my  arrival.  I  then,  while  in  Georgetown, 
forged  a  letter  from  Sir  Edward  Boyton 
to  Yancey,  for  I  had  known  Boyton's  son, 
who  had  been  on  a  year  ago  to  visit  some 
cf  his  friends  in  America,  and  who  had 
also  passed  a  short  time  with  Yan- 
cey. Thus  equipped,  and  armed  in  every 
pocket,  I  once  more  set  out  for  the  Jack- 
son House,  where  I  arrived  exactly  at 
nine  at  night.  Sure  enough,  Yancey  was 
on  hand,  and  cifme  and  very  cordially 
assisted  me  out  of  my  carriage.  My 
livery  servant  being  too  Dutch  to  tell 
anything  he  knew,  accompanied  the 
horses  to  the  stable.  But  who  should 
accompany  Yancey  to  receive  me,  but 
Floyd,  the  man  I  hated  most,  and  most 
wished  to  avoid.  Yet  I  was  well  dis- 
guised. Instead  of  light  sandy  hair,  I 
now  had  jet  black ;  my  whiskers  were 
shaved  all  off,  save  a  bunch  on  each 
cheek,  English  fashion ;  and  my  nose  I 
had  stained  to  a  cherry  red. 

I  shall  never  forget  how  kindly  Yancey 
and  Floyd  took  me  by  the  hand,  and  with 
what  fervency  they  welcomed  me  to  the 
Capital  of  the  United  States.  They  told 
me  I  should  have  put  up  at  Willard's,  in 
order  to  see  the  real  hotel  system  of 
America ;  that  they  feared  I  should  not 
be  as  comfortable  at  the  Jackson  House 
as  one  of  my  exalted  position  should  be. 
I  assured  them,  however,  that  I  had  friends 
coming  in  a  few  days,  and  that  I  was  de- 
sirous of  being  with  them.  I  told  them 
also  that  the  exorbitant  prices  of  Wil- 
lard's made  me  refrain  from  so  great  an 
indulgence. 

"  That's  just  like  you  English  !  "  said 
Floyd.  "  You  are  so  very  economical. 
Why,  do  you  know,  in  this  country  every 
one  of  us  must  have  the  very  best,  even 
if  we  become  bankrupt  next  day." 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN"  1860. 


61 


"  But,  sir,"  said  I,  speaking  slowly  and 
with  some  impediment,  like  a  member  of 
the  British  Parliament,  "  but,  sir,  you-a 
must  consider-a  that  in  Hingland  we 
'ave-a  less-a  hopportunity  to  replace-a-a 
a  fortune  when  we-a  'ave  been  so  'eedless 
to  'ave  spent  it  so  thoughtlessly-a."  Now, 
when  they  saw  how  beautifully  I  got  heed- 
less and  thoughtlessly  in  so  close  proxim- 
ity, they  were  in  ecstacies  to  know  if  I 
were  not  a  member  of  Parliament.  I  as- 
sured them  I  was  not,  but  that  I  had  often 
been  there.  Our  conversation  was,  how- 
ever, soon  terminated  ;  the  clerk  touched 
my  arm,  and  signified  that  I  might  go  to 
my  rooms,  and  I  invited  the  others  to 
acconqjany  me.  Accordingly,  after  I  had 
given  strict  orders,  English  fashion,  that 
my  horses  must  have  all  the  attention  and 
care,  and  that  anything  would  do  for 
myself,  we  all  marched  up  to  my  beauti- 
fully ventilated  apartments.  I  then  told 
them,  in  the  same  parliamentary  drag  of 
unmeaningly-connected  words,  that  they 
could  not  suppose  any  ordinary  matter 
would  bring  me  to  this  country ;  that  I 
was  almost  prepared  to  tell  them  about 
the  contemplated  dissolution  of  the  re- 
public, and  of  the  projected  establish- 
ment of  a  constricted  republic  on  the 
ruins ;  that  it  had  always  been  a  thing 
of  pity,  for  the  English  to  behold  the 
lawless  character  of  the  American  Gov- 
ernment ;  that  it  was  the  most  inexplica- 
ble of  all  things,  to  think  that  in  a  coun- 
try great  as  this,  there  were  no  men  of 
energy  and  talent  to  seize  the  helm  of 
state  and  wrench  it  from  the  vulgar  mob. 

Now,  during  all  this  time  I  had  been 
frequently  touching  my  nose  with  my 
handkerchief,  and  what  was  my  horror 
on  seeing  the  red  paint  in  spots  all  over 
it.  Could  it  be  my  nose  was  turning  Yan- 
kee ?  Would  these  rascals  .discover  me  ? 
I  kept  on  the  shady  side  of  the  gas. 
Yancey  was  astonished  how  much  I  knew 
of  the  project  of  secession.  I  told  him 
there  were  any  number  of  ways  the  Brit- 
ish Government  had  of  finding  out  things 
abroad.  First,  it  sends  out  spies ;  then, 
correspondents ;  then,  gas-blowers  ;  then, 
bullets.  "  And  I  am  on  the  second  list," 
said  I,  "  for  this  new  adventure."  When 
I  said  this,  Floyd  swore.  All  my  prog- 
nostications were  true,  he  said.  "  This 
country  is  about  to  change  its  form  of 
government  to  a  limited  republic ;  but 
here  will  be  no  pickings  for  the  British 
Government.  We  are  now  the  sick  old 
man ;  but  let  France  and  Britain  joiu  on 

us,  and  you  shall  see "     Then  came 

a    furious  oath.     And    even  with    more 
fierceness  did  Yancey  speak  out.    They 


apologized  to  me,  but  warned  Britain. 
Though,  when  I  disclaimed  any  desire 
of  the  British  Government  to  seize  this 
country,  or  any  part  of  it,  and,  with 
some  authority,  added,  "  Great  Britain 
only  speaks  in  the  cause  of  humanity." 
"  That's  a  hit  at  slavery,"  said  Floyd. 
"  All  the  Abolition  emissaries  of  the  North 
were  taught  by  Britons." 

I  told  him  he  was  sadly  mistaken  ;  that 
the  British  Government  recognized  the 
theory,  that  there  must  be  in  all  countries 
hewers  of  wood  and  carriers  of  water ; 
and  that  we,  the  English  people,  would 
sooner  to-day  see  this  Government  with 
slavery  for  its  corner-stone,  than  to  see 
it  emanate  from  a  common  mob.  "  This 
is,"  said  I,  "  one  of  the  chief  things  for 
which  I  am  here  to  inform  you,  though 
unofficially.  And  you  may  rest  assured 
that  it  is  the  doctrine  we  will  ever  main- 
tain— first  the  Government,  then  the  peo- 
ple." 

"  And  those  are  my  sentiments  too," 
said  Yancey.  "  We  have  tried  universal 
suffrage  ;  now  we  shall  have  it  limited." 

I  then  asked  him  in  what  way  this 
great  desideratum  was  to  be  accomplish- 
ed ;  and  he  told  me,  if  I  ^vould  have  the 
patience  to  wait  a  few  minutes,  he  would 
take  me  to  a  meeting  of  some  of  the 
prominent  leaders,  where  I  could  hear 
and  judge  accordingly.  And  that  he 
would  be  pleased  to  have  me  state  before 
the  meeting  the  probable  position  the 
British  Government  would  assume  during 
the  troubles  which  must  necessarily  result 
during  the  invportant  change.  Next  he 
ordered  some  sparkling  Catawba,  and  we 
sat  and  drank  to  each  other  for  a  good 
while ;  and  I,  meantime,  wishing  I  had 
Judge  Francis  here,  to  tell  us  a  story  of 
his  youthful  days. 

At  a  quarter  past  ten  we  left,  arm  in 
arm,  they  having  previously  cautioned  me 
to  be  silent  during  our  walk.  Down  the 
avenue ;  up  L  to  Monroe  Lane,  and  along 
the  lane — it  should  be  called  alley — till 
we  came  to  No.  76,  a  dingy  sort  of  high- 
stoop  frame  house,  where  all  was  dark- 
ness. I  was  satisfied  now,  if  I  were  de- 
tected, I  would  be  killed,  and  that  no 
one  would  ever  know  it ;  and  some  fear 
began  to  creep  over  me.  Yancey  touched 
the  door,  and  some  one  inside  opened  it, 
when  we  walked  in.     All  was  dark. 

"  What  are  your  names  ?  "  demanded 
the  man  in  the  dark.  Yancey  told  him 
for  us  all.  The  man  dashed  a  lamp  in 
full  glare  in  our  faces,  saying,  "  Pass  on." 
And  we  did  pass.  The  house  was  an 
unoccupied  one,  unfurnished,  and  every- 
thing we  touched  or  did  seemed  to  make 


62 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


a  great  noise.  A  dim  light  came  down 
from  above  after  we  got  further  in,  and 
we  found  and  went  up  a  long  pair  of 
stairs,  at  the  head  of  which  stood  a  senti- 
nel and  Orsini,  both  with  swords  drawn. 
My  friends  vouched  for  me,  and  we  enter- 
ed, having  left  our  hats  and  walking-sticks 
with  the  sentinel.  In  another  moment  I 
remembered  my  name,  Jenkins,  was  en- 
graved on  the  gold  mounting,  but  I  was 
already  in  the  hall,  and  knew  not  what 
to  do.  Half  turning  my  head,  I  saw  the 
rascal  looking  at  my  cane,  and  I  feared 
he  would  call  me  to  account.  But  he 
was  interrupted  by  some  one  else  com- 
ing in,  though  he  kept  the  cane  in  his 
hand.  At  the  other  end  of  the  room — 
if,  indeed,  a  whole  floor  can  be  called  a 
room — were  Toombs,  Mason,  Cobb,  Rhett, 
and  Davis.  As  soon  as  we  came  up,  I 
was  introduced  as  Clarkson,  of  the  Lon- 
don Times,  and  greeted  warmly  and 
pleasantly.  Rhett  asked  Floyd  if  he 
had  any  good  news  to  report  to-night. 
"  I  have,"  said  Floyd.  "  I  have  this  day 
sent  fifty  thousand  muskets  to  the  arrnory 
in  Charleston ;  also  sent  a  good  assort- 
ment of  munitions  of  war.  But  that  is 
not  the  best  of  it ;  I  have  appointed  the 
Governor  of  your  State  to  look  after  it." 
This  was  followed  by  a  laugh.  In  an- 
other moment  I  saw  the  sentinel  approach- 
ing, bearing  my  walking-stick  with  him. 
"  Are  you  certain  you  know  this  gentle- 
man ? "  said  he,  pointing  to  me.  Yan- 
cey and  Floyd  said  they  were  posi- 
tive. "  Orsini  says  he  is  a  painted  man, 
and  Orsini  knows  paint.  Here  is  Jen- 
kins' cane  !  "  "  Ah  !  "  shouted — or  hissed 
rather — every  one  present.  "  Gentlemen," 
said  I,  "  I-a  cannot  receive-a  this  pleas- 
antly. Is  this  the  way- a  statesmen- a  build 
up  new  States-a  ?  If  you  ave-a  any 
doubt,  gentlemen-a,  of  my  respectability, 
1  will-a  assure  you  I  will  do  anything 
'onorable  to  convince  you-a  your  doubts-a 
can  be  removed-a."  This,  being  a  rather 
parliamentary-constructed  sentence,  won 
over  to  me  several  voices  from  the  mem- 
bers. But  Floyd  and  Yancey  both  spoke 
out,  saying  they  themselves  doubted  me. 
Toombs  said,  "  Demand  any  letters  he  may 
have  about  him.  See  if  they  are  to  Clark- 
son,  and  if  post-marked  England." 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  I,  "  I  have  no  let- 
ters with  me.  I  hope  you  will  not  make 
it  unpleasant  for  me  to  remain  with 
you." 

"Do  you  know,  sir,"  said  Floyd,  "I 
think  you  are  a  spy  ?  Show  us  some 
proof ! " 

"  I  have  nothing  with  me." 

"  Whence  came  this  cane  ?  " 


"  I  got  it  at  the  tavern  ;  I  don't  know 
whose  it  is." 

"  Then  let  us  examine  your  face,  to  see 
if  it  is  painted." 

"  I  cannot  allow  this,  gentlemen.  You 
brought  me.  If  I  am  not  welcome,  take 
me  home  again." 

"  No,  sir ;  not  out  of  this  house,  till  we 
know  who  you  arc"  -aid  Floyd. 

They  then  came  upon  me,  and  I  treated 
them  with  backing  toward  the  door,  con- 
tinually complaining  of  this  indignity  to 
a  British  subject.  In  the  meantime  I  had 
taken  my  cane  to  look  at  it,  but  with  the 
full  determination  to  use  it,  and  also  the 
revolver  and  knife,  if  attacked.  The 
meeting  was  now  nothing  more  than  a 
row,  some  for  and  some  against  me. 
Floyd  had  me  by  the  sleeve ;  Orsini  was 
at  my  back  with  his  uplifted  sword.  I 
wheeled  round,  and  knocked  the  sword 
from  his  hand.  With  one  bound  I  went 
down  the  stairs,  but  lost  my  footing  and 
fell.  For  a  moment  all  was  darkness  and 
despair,  made  terrible  by  a  wild  scream 
from  a  female  by  my  side.  I  was  in  the 
cellar ;  fell  through  a  hatchway,  bruised 
my  hand,  and  was  almost  unconscious  of 
how  badly  I  was  injured.  The  female 
passed  aside,  and  darted  out  through  a 
cellar  door  into  the  lane  above.  I  fol- 
lowed, not  knowing  how  soon  my  pur- 
suers would  be  upon  me.  But  the  sounds 
of  the  voices  and  the  running  party  con- 
vinced me  they  had  mistaken  my  where- 
abouts, and  were  pursuing  me  down  the 
stairway.  A  few  minutes  sufficed,  how- 
ever, to  show  me  I  had  made  my  escajte 
successful.  The  next  great  mystery  was, 
who  was  this  thief  of  a  creature  hid  in 
the  cellar  ?  Of  course,  her  way  of  escape 
had  been  matured,  and  if  I  followed  her 
I  too  was  safe.  She  ran  faster  than  I  had 
ever  seen  a  woman  run  before,  and  I  ran 
nearly  as  fast  as  ever  did  man.  Her 
course  was  down  the  lane,  across  the 
avenue,  and  to  the  grounds  of  the  Smith- 
sonian Institute.  Curiosity  led  me  to  fol- 
low so  strange  a  woman,  if  for  nothing 
more  than  to  assure  her  I  meant  no  harm. 
As  soon  as  she  was  about  fifty  rods  ahead, 
she  slackened  her  pace,  ever  and  anon 
looking  back  to  see  if  I  followed.  On 
several  occasions  she  dodged  a  corner  to 
escape  me,  but  I  always  found  her  course, 
and  pursued.  When  she  entered  the  Smith- 
sonian grounds,  going  even  toward  the 
Institute,  I  saw  she  slackened  her  pace 
still  more,  as  if  waiting,  to  be  captured. 
I  walked  briskly  till  near  her,  and  then 
slower.  It  was  nearly  a  full  moon,  and 
I  saw,  even  before  I  approached  her,  she 
was  at  least  no  beggar,  or  person  of  scanty 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


63 


cloth.  Finally  she  halted  and  faced  about, 
waiting  for  me,  and  in  another  minute  I 
was  face  to  face  with  her. 

"  Oh,  sir,  I  beseech  you,"  she  said,  "  if 
you  can  imagine  a  woman's  fears,  you  will 
pity  me,  and  treat  me  kindly."  She  burst 
out  crying  as  it  her  heart  was  broken. 
"  Oh,  in  God's  name,  sir,  let  me  go  !  If 
there  is  anything  sacred  in  the  name  of 
mother  or  sister,  oh,  I  pray  you,  grant  it 
unto  me  !  I  am  yet  a  child,  and  my  fears 
will  drive  me  to  death." 

All  this  she  said  while  she  was  sobbing, 
and  before  I  was  within  a  half  a  dozen  paces. 
So,  when  I  halted,  I  assured  her,  over  and 
over,  that  I  was  no  enemy ;  that  I  would, 
on  the  contrary,  be.  her  friend,  if  it  were 
possible  for  me  to  do  any  good  act  for 
her. 

"  Then  are  you  not  an  officer  ? "  she 
said,  endeavoring  to  quiet  herself  a  little, 
at  the  same  time  tossing  back  her  velvet 
robe,  and  disclosing  to  my  view  her  other 
attire,  which  seemed  of  the  richest  qual- 
ity. A  hood  she  lifted  back,  and  waving 
ringlets  of  light  auburn  played  on  her 
snow-white  neck.  She  was  pretty ;  she 
was  bewitching,  even  while  she  stood 
weeping  and  nearly  overcome  with  fear. 
I  assured  her  I  was  no  officer ;  and  then 
I  told  her  about  being  at  a  meeting  with 
some  friends  in  the  old  house,  and  about 
falling  through  the  hatchway.  And  then 
I  assured  her  that  mere  curiosity  had  in- 
duced me  to  follow  her,  because  it  seemed 
so  strange  for  a  lady  to  escape  from  such 
a  miserable,  deserted  house.  Now,  when 
she  saw  I  was  so  frank,  she  replied,  say- 
ing, "  Your  words,  sir,  have  done  much 
to  assuage  my  fears.  I  would  that  you 
knew  me  as  I  know  myself,  or  as  Heaven 
knows  me  ;  you  would  lend  some  assur- 
ance to  my  heart-pangs,  which  it  seems 
can  never  heal.  Oh,  pity  me  !  pity  me  !  " 
Said  I,  "  Sentiments  like  these,  madam, 
cannot  emanate  but  from  one  deserving 
honorable  pity.  If  you  will  be  kind 
enough  to  relate  -to  me  what  misfortunate 
circumstance  has  crossed  the  path  of  one 
so  little  able  to  battle  with  stern  realities, 
and  also  to  tell  me  what  I  can  do  to  extri- 
cate you  from  your  perils,  you  will,  I  do 
assure  you,  find  in  me  a  reliable  friend." 

"  I  am  indeed  much  pleased  with  your 
proffered  assistance,"  she  said,  becoming 
calm,  and  deeply  interested  in  eyeing  me 
from  head  to  foot.  "  But  were  I  to  tell 
you  of  the  misfortunate  circumstances  that 
have  crossed  my  path,  you  would  your- 
self, man  as  you  are,  feel  that  fate  had 
forever  closed  the  portals  of  justice  to 
me.  My  life  has  not  been  a  happy  one ; 
and,  were  it  day,  you  could  see  in  my 


young  face  such  furrows  as  would  tell  a 
sadder  tale  than  words  ever  painted. 
Now,  sir,  I  pray  you,  if  you  will  befriend 
a  helpless,  virtuous  girl,  please  leave,  me. 
I  would  retire  to  the  place  whence  I  came; 
and  I  must  so  proceed,  that  no  one  will 
suspect  or  molest  me." 

Said  I,  "  My  lady,  you  do  impose  a  bur- 
den on  me.  How  can  I  leave  ?  This  would 
be  the  greatest  burden  of  my  life,  to  leave 
you  thus  sorrow-stricken,  with  the  thought 
of  your  probable  woes  ever  haunting  me. 
Can  I  nothing  do  that  will  give  you  a  ray 
of  happiness  ?  Must  I  myself  forever  re- 
main ignorant  of  the  mystery  that  sur- 
rounds you  ? " 

She  then  folded  her  handkerchief,  and 
sobbed  for  many  minutes.  I  knew  not 
what  to  do  or  to  say  ;  but  after  I  lingered 
awhile,  I  turned  to  go  away,  remarking 
that,  if  my  presence  was  not  pleasant,  I 
would  most  unhappily  take  my  leave  of 
one  whose  strangeness  would  ever  be  con- 
stant in  memory.  But  when  I  started,  she 
said,  "  Stay  awhile ;  I  will  be  calm  in  a 
moment."  Then  she  snuffled  a  little,  and 
cleared  herself,  and  put  on  some  dignity. 
"  'Tis  well,  sir,"  she  said,  "  that  a  stranger 
approaches  me  thus,  and  that  I  behave  as 
if  I  were  ignorant  of  myself.  You  mis- 
take me  for  some  idle  heroine,  who  has, 
for  a  love-sick  fever,  imposed  some  hazard 
on  her  future  prospects.  Such  is  not  my 
case,  neither  do  I  feel  at  liberty  to  tell  my 
grievance  without  first  knowing  to  whom 
I  sjieak.  For  the  telling  of  my  woful  pros- 
pects may  bring  greater  ones  on  me.  Yet 
I  need  a  friend.  Oh,  sir,  I  do  need  a  friend  ! 
So  long  I  have  prayed  God  to  send  me  a 
friend !  " 

Her  dignity  again  broke  down,  and  she 
sobbed  as  before.  As  soon  as  she  quieted 
a  little,  I  said,  "  Madam,  I  do  assure  you, 
if  it  be  possible  for  me  to  prove  myself 
that  prayed-for  friend,  you  need  but  give 
your  commands,  and  I  will  obey  them. 
Nay,  so  much  I  am  convinced  of  your  vir- 
tue and  nobleness,  you  can  impose  what- 
ever you  will,  and  I  will  obey  you.  Take 
courage,  madam ;  for,  as  Heaven  witnesses, 
I  will  be  true." 

"  Take  heed  what  you  swear,  man,  for 
there  are  things  you  know  not  of.  Would 
you,  sir,  to  a  strange  woman — if  indeed  I 
am  at  the  age  of  womanhood — swear  to 
forswear  your  country's  laws  ?  " 

"  Almost  you  put  me  to  the  test,"  said 
I.  "  Whatever  law  could  interdict  your 
seeming  nobleness,  seems  not  law,  but 
violence." 

"  A  friend  stands  above  all  things,  save 
Him  who  formed  us.  If  you  cannot  be 
so  to  me,  you  are  not  the  meet  of  my  long, 


64 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


loDg  prayers.  Go,  sir ;  I  pray  you,  leave 
me!" 

"  No,  madam.  Now  I  swear  before 
God  I  will  ever  stand  at  your  command." 

"  Uplift  your  hand  and  speak  to  Him  !  " 
she  said,  as  calmly  as  ever  woman  spake  ; 
and  I  held  up  my  hand,  and  said,  "  God 
witness ! "  And  then  she  came  to  me, 
took  my  hand,  and,  pointing  upward,  she 
said,  "  O  Lord  my  God,  receive  my  hum- 
ble thanks,  that  Thou  hast  sent  to  Thy 
heart-broken  child  a  true  friend.  Aid 
me,  O  God,  to  maintain  my  trials,  and 
bless  this  great,  good  man  !  "  She  turned 
to  me  then,  and  added,  "  Sir,  however  fair 
you  behold  me,  and  with  what  freedom  of 
speech  you  may  see  I  address  you,  know 
that  I  am  called  a  slave  ;  called  a  negress  ; 
called  a  fugitive,  flying  from  my  owner. 
Five  hundred  dollars  are  offered  for  my 
capture,  and  I  am  sought  for  by  many. 
Now,  my  friend,  I  have  but  to  tell  the 
horrors  in  store  for  me,  and  you  will  carry 
me  safe  to  Canada ;  for  I  know  you  would 
not  see  one  so  young  and  helpless  as  I  am 
doomed  to  the  fate  hovering  over  me." 

I  was  so  astounded  I  scarcely  knew  if  I 
were  not  in  a  dream ;  for  I  gazed  full  in 
that  snow-white  face.  Her  eyes  were  large 
and  blue ;  her  lips  thin,  and  a  pretty  dim- 
ple rested  in  each  cheek  and  on  her  chin. 
Her  hair  was  pale  auburn,  and  nearly 
straight ;  her  person  full  and  round,  but 
she  was  tall  and  of  ujDright  form.  I  never 
heard  a  sweeter  voice,  and  her  hand  was 

so  small  and  soft  to  the  touch She 

could  not  be  a  slave  !  To-morrow  a  con- 
stable may  say  to  me,  "  Come,  sir,  help 
capture  my  slave,  and  carry  her  back,  or 
you,  sir,  shall  to  prison  for  refusing." 
This  noble-spoken  girl,  who  hath  all  the 
centres  fine  of  genial  worth,  and  outer 
form  of  all,  that  hath  each  her  several 
parts  compounded  into  that  one  excellent 
being,  woman — a  slave  !  Why  droops  my 
soul,  that  but  a  moment  since  would  have 
challenged  the  world  in  her  behalf?  A 
pristine  love  a  moment  since,  and,  Heaven 
witness,  so  soon  shocked  and  dead  !  Even 
while  the  same  eloquent  beauty  clings  so 
prayerfully  by  my  side.  Away,  away,  ye 
cavilling,  doubting,  carrolers  of  my  peace  ! 
She  is  a  woman,  fair  and  virtuous  !  I  will, 
will  be  true ! 


All  this  passed  through  my  mind  quicker 
than  I  can  tell  it ;  so  that,  when  she  ceased 
speaking  but  for  a  moment,  I  told  her  she 
could  rely  upon  me  ;  that  I  would  provide 
her  safety  out  of  the  country.  Moreover, 
that  I  would  make  myself  a  special  guard- 
ian over  her  until  she  was  comfortably 
situated.  She  pressed  my  hand  fervently, 
the  tears  fast  rolling  down  her  cheeks  as 
she  gazed  piteously  up  into  my  face.  It 
could  not  be,  I  thought,  from  her  resem- 
blance to  Ann  Underbill,  that  I  loved  her 
also ;  yet,  if  outward  form  and  a  gifted 
speech  show  off  the  heart  and  mind,  why 
not  some  noble  worth  in  this  poor  slave  ? 

"  Now  tell  me,"  said  I,  after  she  had 
again  thanked  me  for  my  many  promises, 
"  tell  me  of  the  misfortunes  you  have  en- 
dured, and  how  you  came  to  this  unhappy 
pass." 

"  Not  yet,"  said  she,  "  for  even  now 
may  I  be  pounced  upon  and  captured. 
Let  us  away  to  some  secure  place,  and  I 
will  then  tell  you  all  about  it,  and  who  I 
am  and  whence  I  came." 

"  Then,"  said  I,  "  'tis  well  we  take  the 
train  for  Canada  even  now." 

"  No,"  she  said ;  "  I  have  a  half-sister 
who  will  be  here  to-morrow  night.  She 
is  out  of  money.  I  must  wait  till  she 
comes.  Let  me  go  now  to  my  room  in 
the  deserted  house,  and,  if  you  like,  you 
can  call  to-morrow,  and  I  will  tell  you  the 
story  of  my  life." 

But  I  urged  her  to  go  to  a  hotel.  She 
said  they  had  her  carte-devisite  at  all  of 
them  ;  that  she  should  surely  be  captured. 
I  then  asked  her  if  she  were  not  afraid  to 
go  back  to  that  house.  "  No,"  she  said, 
"  no  ;  I  trust  in  God  !  See  how  He  has 
blessed  me  ! "  Again  she  pressed  my  hand, 
adding,  "  Go,  now,  go,  though  it  breaks 
my  heart ;  still  I  have  more  joy  this  night 
than  ever  before  came  to  poor  woman. 
Say  you  call  to-morrow  ?  "  I  told  her  I 
would,  and  she  said,  "  God  bless  you  !  " 
She  took  my  arm,  and  we  walked  together 
till  we  arrived  at  the  intersection  of  the 
lane  on  Pennsylvania  Avenue.  "  To-mor- 
row, at  twelve,"  said  I,  as  we  were  part- 
ing, and  she  again  wept,  saying,  "  God 
bless  you  !  "  And  in  a  moment  more  she 
disappeared  up  the  dark  lane,  and  I  went 
home. 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


65 


CHAPTER    IX. 

BEING  PART  OF  THE  MOST  IMPORTANT  niSTORY  EVER  PENNED  ;  WHEREIN  IS  SHOWN  THAT,  WHEN  THE 
TOTES  OP  THE  ELECTORAL  COLLEGE  WERE  COUNTED,  THE  AMERICAN  COLORS,  RED,  WHITE,  AND 
BLUE,  APPEARED  ON  THE  NOONDAY  SUN. 


Although  the  election  of  Lincoln  had 
been  known  for  a  good  while,  still  the 
counting  of  the  votes  of  the  electoral  col- 
lege had  not  taken  place,  and  a  vain  hope 
was  still  entertained  by  some  Southerners 
that  some  Northern  electors  might  prove 
false,  and  yet  elect  some  other  President. 
This  was  the  most  doubtful  period  of  the 
nation's  history.  The  rumor  was  spread, 
too,  that  Scott  was  wavering,  and  might 
join  the  seceders  ;  in  fact,  in  all  the  length 
and  breadth  of  the  land  there  was  no  pub- 
lic champion  for  the  Union.  The  hearts 
of  millions  were  praying  that  God  might 
give  them  a  leader  for  the  cause  of  national 
glory  and  justice,  but  all  was  sullen  silence, 
save  the  clamoring  of  the  destroyers  of 
liberty.  They  had  it  all  their  own  way. 
Now  the  electoral  votes  were  to  be  counted, 
the  die  cast,  the  fall  begun.  Accord- 
ingly, this  day  was  a  memorable  one.  All 
the  leaders  of  disorder  were  concentrated 
in  the  Capitol,  and  countless  curious  spec- 
tators rilled  its  every  avenue.  It  was  about 
eleven  o'clock  when  we  started.  I  had  for 
my  companion  Miss  Underbill,  while  Judge 
Francis  had  Mr.,  Mrs.,  and  Miss  Edge.  I 
knew  we  were  all  well  attired,  but  the 
scenes  around  made  it  seem  as  if  it  were 
all  a  dream.  I  had  never  seen  the  streets 
so  crowded.  The  air  was  fresh  and  pleas- 
ant, and  the  leafy  trees  of  the  Capitol 
grounds  never  looked  so  splendid.  The 
reveille  sounded  afar  off.  They  were 
Scott's  troops.  I  saw  a  few  galloping 
horsemen.  I  knew  America  had  few 
troops,  and  feared  this  was  the  beginning 
of  a  mighty  revolution.  Everybody  was 
full  of  emotion.  Some  men,  old  and 
feeble,  I  saw  in  tears.  When  we  passed 
the  gates  one  man  said,  "  I  fear  the  great 
republic  is  no  more."  Another,  drooping, 
said,  "  Oh,  that  I  had  died  ere  this  un- 
happy period  !  "  The  bells  were  ringing, 
or  rather  tolling,  in  parts  of  the  city,  add- 
ing more  gloom  to  the  awful  affairs  of 
state.  Anon  hurried  past  us  the  votaries 
of  secession,  with  muffled-up  cloaks  a 
few,  and  many  in  rich  but  scanty  attire ; 
and  the  heinous  laugh  and  grin  of  demons 


rested  in  complacent  triumph  in  their 
beautiful  faces ;  for,  though  devils  all, 
they  were  Americans.  It  was  the  saddest 
day  I  ever  saw,  and  every  one  else,  save 
the  secessionists,  seemed  as  if  throwing 
the  awful  burden  of  their  souls  at  the 
portals  of  Heaven.  Not  a  breath  of  air 
stirred ;  no  leaf  had  motion.  When  we 
arrived  at  the  steps  of  the  Capitol,  near 
the  lower  fount,  we  faced  about  to  see  the 
vast  assemblage.  Ourselves  saying  little, 
for  so  solemn  was  the  hour — as  if  a  nation 
was  at  prayer ;  as  if  Liberty  was  in  the 
throes  of  death ;  as  if  the  voice  of  twenty 
millions  were  in  communion  at  the  throne 
of  Almighty  God  !  My  companion  touch- 
ed my  arm,  and  we  looked  aside  and  be- 
held Breckinridge ;  he  was  with  Rhett, 
Floyd,  and  Davis.  He  was  one  of  the 
candidates  for  President ;  he  was  going 
in  to  count  the  votes  himself.  Soon  we 
all  followed,  and  in  a  minute  more  were 
standing  in  full  view  of  the  expected  scene. 
It  was  then  twelve  o'clock  precisely.  Pen- 
nington called  the  House  to  order.  Stock- 
ton then  prayed,  the  substance  of  which 
was,  "  God  bless  the  out-going  Admin- 
istration. May  it  close  its  labors  without 
further  violence  or  more  stain  of  blood. 
We  pray  for  the  President  elect.  Thy 
blessing  rest  upon  him ;  protect  him 
hitherward ;  guide  him  with  Thy  coun- 
sel, that  he  may  administer  the  affairs  of 
state  as  a  worthy  example  of  civil  and 
religious  liberty." 

The  House  then  sent  a  message  to  the 
Senate,  requesting  them  to  enter,  in  order 
to  count  the  votes  together.  I  never  saw 
such  excellent  order.  You  could  have 
heard  a  pin  fall.  When  the  Senate  enter- 
ed, the  House  arose  to  do  them  honor, 
and  provided  them  a  circular  line  near 
the  Speaker's  desk.  Breckinridge,  the 
slaveholders'  candidate,  being  Vice-Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  and  President 
of  the  Senate,  took  his  seat  beside  the 
Speaker.  In  a  moment  all  was  order 
again.  Breckinridge  then  rose  up,  say- 
ing, "  We  have  assembled  pursuant  to 
the  Constitution,  in  order  that  the  elee- 


6fi 


TOE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;   OR, 


toral  votes  be  counted,  and  the  result 
declared  for  President  and  Vice-President 
lor  the  term  commencing  March  4th,  18G1. 
It  is  my  duty  to  oj}en  the  certificates  of 
election,  in  the  presence  of  the  two  Houses, 
and  I  now  proceed  to  the  performance  of 
that  duty." 

When  he  ceased,  the  House  was  even 
more  quiet  than  before  ;  and  as  he  took 
each  sealed  package  from  each  State,  and 
broke  the  seal,  it  seemed  to  send  a  death- 
like shudder  over  every  person  present. 
He  handed  the  packages  to  the  tellers  to 
be  counted.  Oh,  what  a  terrible  spell 
now  came  upon  us  !  Six  thousand  of  us 
were  present,  and  we  all  trembled  for  the 
result.  The  Southern  States  were  under 
threat,  if  Lincoln  be  elected,  they  would 
secede  and  destroy  the  nation.  Even  now 
were  they  silently  praying,  nursing  their 
vainglory  and  hellish  glee,  for  a  cause  to 
show  their  foolish  madness.  This  cause 
would  come  of  Lincoln's  election.  Oh, 
that  they  could  show  how  ugly  they  could 
be,  for  the  seeming  menace  against  their 
glut  in  human  bondage  !  Their  prayers 
were  full  of  curses.  They  mocked  the 
God  of  Justice.  Might  wTas  their  king. 
Like  tigers  they  were,  gazing  at  the  tell- 
ers, to  tell  them  to  say  it  if  they  dare. 
And  yet  they  feared.  They  had  boasted 
they  would ;  and  conscience — for  they 
were  Americans — still  swept  o'er  them. 
But  the  blindness  of  uncertain  failure 
had  seized  on  them  ;  the  rays  of  national 
glory  were  being  sealed  to  them  forever. 
Pitiful  creatures  !  what  a  bleeding  shame 
to  the  great  republic  !  For  your  madness 
to  damn  your  country. 

Not  less,  though,  were  we  prayerful  the 
while.  We  viewed  the  tellers  in  their 
routine,  with  our  hearts  divided.  Lincoln 
was  on  the  side  of  liberty,  and  most  we 
hoped  he  would  be  elected.  But  we  loved 
the  opposite  party — not  for  its  principles, 
but  they  too  were  our  countrymen.  Al- 
most we  hoped  against  our  wishes,  and 
wished  against  our  hopes.  We  would 
not  enrage  our  fellows.  Yet,  with  silent 
pledge,  we  said  to  Almighty  God,  Thy 
will  be  done.  Give  us  this  day  the  result 
of  the  voice  of  the  nation.  Thou  hast 
prospered  us,  and  we  know  that  Thy  wis- 
dom will  ever  guard  us.  If  it  be  that  the 
voice  of  the  great  republic  is  for  Lincoln, 
so  shall  we  stand  trusting  in  Thy  name. 

Now,  while  we  thus  in  silence  sat,  and 
much  feared,  musing  in  awful  mood,  the 
tellers  fast  told  over  all  the  States'  de- 
crees, as  each  State  had  by  parts  its 
several  parts  proclaimed.  Anon  this 
silence  ceased.  Then  Breckinridge,  with 
trembling   hand,  held   up    a   slip  of  pa- 


per, reading,  even  while  he  grew  deathly 
pale : 

"  Douglas,  twelve ;  Bell,  thirty-nine ; 
Breckinridge,   seventy-two;  Lincoln,  one 

hundred  and  eighty."' 

Every  person  present  seemed  as  dead. 
Even  our  breath  had  nearly  ceased.  Anon 
a  tgar  from  many  an  eye  stole  down.  No 
one  looked  on  another.  Countrymen — all 
— the  banter  forth  and  challenge  taken. 
But  fast  the  blood  returned  to  Breckin- 
ridge's face,  and  almost  black  he  was 
with  choking  madness.  "  Linroln  has," 
he  said,  "  the  majority  of  the  whole  vote. 
He  is  elected  President.  Hamlin  is  elect- 
ed Vice-President."  He  could  say  no 
more ;  the  eyes  of  six  thousand  people 
were  gazing  on  him,  and  he  was  the  van- 
quished candidate.  We  piticcl  him.  He 
was  the  slaveholders'  choice,  but  not  the 
nation's.  The  law  is,  that  the  majority 
shall  rule  ;  but  not  so  now,  thought  the 
vanquished  and  his  adherents.  They  swore, 
though  not  aloud,  they  would  not  submit  : 
and  this  was  the  first  treason  formed 
in  the  hearts  of  men  on  this  continent. 

Soon  the  senators  took  their  departure  ; 
the  House  meanwhile  had  risen  to  their 
feet  in  due  honor.  Such  was  the  terrible 
day — the  hour  of  death.  But  darkness 
was  over  us  all ;  the  country  was  without 
Heaven's  sign  ;  like  a  clash  of  arms  in  a 
midnight  battle,  the  wail  and  war-whoop 
was  heard,  but  the  end  no  man  saw. 
"  The  slave  party  is  beaten  ;  will  it  yield 
to  the  nation's  ballot  ?  Will  it  try  by 
arms  wdiat  it  failed  by  moral  power  ? 
And  will  not  the  liberty  party  cringe  to 
them,  and  plunge  the  whole  in  chaos  ?  " 
Thus  we  said,  and  thus  mused,  even  from 
the  moment  the  Senate  left.  Then  the 
busy  voice  of  maddened  whispers  ran 
amongst  the  six  thousand  people.  Louder 
grew  the  hum,  and  order  ceased.  We 
turned,  amidst  the  throng  that  now  be- 
came a  moving  mass,  and  slowly  made 
way  beneath  the  dome  and  thence  toward 
the  upper  porch  that  faces  the  grounds 
above  the  Capitol.  Quick  now  past  our- 
selves we  saw  Floyd,  Madame  Ponchard 
on  his  arm,  and  Orsini  near,  all  making 
way  to  the  open  plot  beyond,  where 
grouped  a  thousand  men  and  women, 
gazing  upward.  Before  we  cleared  the 
trees,  we  were  near  Washington's  statue, 
and  then,  in  view  full  of  the  dim-like 
sun,  we  gazed  and  saw  the  colors  in  their 
brightest  hue,  the  red,  white,  and  blue.* 

"  See  !  see  !  "  said  Floyd,  for  he  and 
Yancey,  and  others,  were  just  a  pace 
ahead,  and  as  he  pointed  to  the  sun ;  "  I 

*  This  was  seen  that  day  by  sixty  thousand  people. 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


67 


care  not,  though  Heaven  curse,  we  can, 
we  will  disprove  such  a  foolish  sign." 

And  then  Yancey  said,  smiling,  "This 
is  God's  farewell  to  the  Stars  and  Stripes. 
He  is  with  us." 

"  No,  I  will  tell  you,"  said  Madame 
Ponchard ;  "  for  you  see  there  are  no 
stars.  This  is  a  new  flag  for  us.  The 
red  is  a  challenge  to  our  foes ;  the  white 
is  a  white  man's  government ;  and  the 
blue  is  the  menial  North."  And  then 
they  all  laughed  heartily,  turning  around  to 
see  if  others  laughed  at  what  they  had  said. 

Not  two  yards  distant  was  I,  my  face 
shaved  even  as  on  the  previous  evening, 
when  I  had  imposed  upon  them  in  effect- 
ing an  entrance  at  the  secret  meeting. 
They  were  astounded,  but  refrained  from 
violence,  because  I  had  a  lady  in  my  com- 
pany ;  though  in  low  whispers  they  point- 
ed me  out  to  Madame  Ponchard  and  Orsini. 
The  crowd  meanwhile  became  so  great  that 
I  soon  lost  sight  of  them,  but  again  en- 
countered the  Judge  and  Vickey.  His 
old  silver  spectacles  were  thrown  high 
upon  his  forehead,  and  be  was  alternately 
looking  at  the  sun  and  his  fair  one,  to 
whom  he  introduced  nearly  every  one  he 
met.  He  only  introduced  them,  though, 
then  kept  on,  as  it  were,  with  an  inter- 
rupted discourse  on  the  planets  and  on 
the  rays  of  light.  So  he  says  to  us,  "  Ha  ! 
ha  !  Jenkins  and  Ann — fine  day  ! — Miss 
Victoria  Edge  !  "  and,  before  we  had  time 
to  say  anything,  he  turns  to  Vickey  :  "  As 
I  was  saying,  the  parallax  seems  as  it  were 
to  conjoin,  and  the  effect  is  more  or  less 
transmitted  to  the  rays  of  light  within 
the  earth's  atmosphere.  Just  as  I  told 
Agassiz  in  the  researches  on  spherical  ac- 
tion— ah  !  "  and  he  turns  to  Mr.  Holt, 
"  ah,  Mr.  Holt  !  strange  phenomenon ! 
Shall  I  introduce  you  to  Miss  Edge,  of 
Ohio  ? "  and  again,  not  waiting  for  a 
reply,  he  goes  on  to  Vickey :  "  If  you 
comprehend  me,  I  only  allude  to  its  pas- 
sage through  our  atmosphere.  Humboldt, 
you  know,  seemed  to  doubt  somewhat  on 
this  point.  Fine  day,  Mrs.  Barrow  !  Shall 
I  make  you  acquainted  with  Miss  Victoria 
Edge,  daughter  of  the  great  railroad  con- 
tractor of  that  name  ?  "  and  he  bow^,  and 
good-naturedly  turns  away,  saying  to 
Vickey,  "  It  is  indeed,  as  you  may  im- 
agine, a  pity  that  our  great  authors  dwelt 
so  little  on  this  subject." 

His  style  attracted  attention.  Those 
who  knew  him  not,  wanted  to  ;  and  those 
who  knew  him  wished  to  hear  him  fur- 
ther, and  these  desires  pleased  Vickey ; 
for  what  girl  would  not  love  to  walk 
with  a  man  that  could  so  easily  attract 
attention  ? 


"  See  my  uncle,"  said  Ann,  "  sailing 
away  with  that  young  girl.  Don't  an 
old  bachelor  always  act  silly  ?  Indeed, 
I  believe  a  wife  is  a  looking-glass  through 
which  a  man  can  learn  to  see  himself." 

"  Then  'tis  better,"  said  I,  "  some  men 
never  get  wives,  for  some  are  blest  in  their 
ignorance  of  not  seeing  themselves.  Yet 
I  would  that  I  could  so  see  myself " 

"  Come,"  said  she,  pulling  at  my  arm, 
"  come  ;  I  fear  this  sun  will  give  me  head- 
ache." 

And  thus  she  ever  broke  off  the  dia- 
logue that  I  had  so  often  ventured  on. 
She  could  playfully  speak  of  marriage, 
but  the  instant  I  took  it  up  she  found 
something  more  important  to  talk  of.  In 
this  instance  I  was  about  to  bring  her  to 
account  for  her  style,  when  wTe  reentered 
the  Capitol,  and  passed  under  the  dome, 
where  were  congregated  about  a  hundred 
people.  At  the  head,  and  spokesman  for 
the  whole,  was  Rhett.  Near  him  stood 
Davis ;  but  Mason  was  skulked  aside  in 
listening  attitude.  "  Never  !  never  !  "  I 
heard  Rhett  say.  "  They  may  battle  us, 
they  may  beat  us,  but  never,  never  can 
they  subdue  us. 

"  The  common  mob  has  now  outraged  the  state, 
It  has  made  fools  of  us,  and  libsrty. 
Judgment  is  dead,  and  vagabonds,  foul  brained 
By  the  base  clamor  of  stump-orators. 
Force  on  the  state  thtir  low-bred  bullies, 
Regardless  of  all  law  and  decency. 
Our  nature  dues  revolt  at  this  hase  stuff, 
And  we  will  banish  it.     So  help  me  Heaven, 
We  shall  despoil  the  whole,  or  have  our  rights. 
In  God's  name  Southerners  rise  to  the  work  ; 
Uncover  this  foul  thing  ;  disembowel  it, 
Strip  yourselves  to  the  skin,  and  bathe  your  hands 
In  its  sweet  blood.     Snivel  and  bow  who  will, 
Gentemen  have  no  choice  but  to  strike  out. 
Before  to-morrow's  set  tins  sun  my  State 
Shall  rend  the  bunds  ;  we  shall  be,  shall  be  free. 
The  government  of  Adams,  Washington, 
And  Jefferson  was  that  which  we  adjoined, 
And  it  is  gone,  effaced— aye,  dead  and  buried. 
Government  none  has  this  republic  now. 
Forsooth  a  boatman,  fresh  from  the  deck, 
And  sun  iking  with  the  smell  of  pork, 
His  knuckles  big  with  handling  greasy  barrels, 
And  such  a  foot — as  flat  as  any  nigger's ; — 
What !  for  h's  very  jackass  qualities 
Made  President  of  these  United  States ! 
No,  no,  no  !  I  am  wrong  ;  this  pretty  pass 
Is  national  glory.     Any  ass  can.  be 
A  President,  and  we'll  go  on  our  bellies 
To  him,  as  part  of  our  religious  bliss. 
Now  hark  you.     I'll  go  tin  thousa  d,  Lincoln 
Never  reaches  Washington.     The  thing's  too  dirty, 
It  will  never  be  stomached  by  an  intelligent  people." 

He  then  turned  to  leave,  and  many  men 
present  shouted  huzzah  at  the  top  of  their 
voices.  Mason,  who  was  downcast,  his 
hands  deep-crammed  in  his  pockets,  now 
came  to  Rhett,  and  said  he  would  like  to 
talk  to  him  about  these  affairs,  stating  also 
that,  as  the  Government  had  really  ceased 
to  live,  it  was  necessary  something  should 
be  done  to  save  the  country  from  coming 
to  civil  war,  and  perhaps  entire  destruc- 


68 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


tion.  Rhett  burst  into  tears,  saying,  "  My 
dear  sir,  I  cannot.  I  cavil  no  more.  This 
day  I  leave  Washington,  never  to  return. 
An  ungrateful  country  has  turned  the 
South  out  of  doors.  I  go  now  to  draw 
my  sword  against  ingratitude.  I  shall 
only  hereafter  pull  down  the  tottering 
edifice,  to  make  way  for  something  sound 
and  noble.  Go,  tell  Buchanan  this — to- 
morrow one  star  shall  be  ripped  from  the 
American  flag." 

"  God  bless  you !  My  heart  is  with 
you,"  said  Mason,  and  he  shook  hands 
with  him.  "  Tell  Thompson  and  Ste- 
phens their  doctrine's  frail ;  that,  in  try- 
ing to  take  the  whole  country,  they  will 
not  take  even  their  own  States.  South 
Carolina  will  go  alone." 

Again  they  shook  hands,  each  prophe- 
sying that  war  Avould  in  all  probability 
prevent  them  from  ever  meeting  again. 
Hardly  had  they  separated,  both  nearly 
overcome  with  the  affairs  of  state,  when 
a  loud,  uncouth  laugh  directed  our  atten- 
tion toward  the  lower  steps.  "  I  tell  you 
they  are  vanquished.  I  tell  you,  Pro- 
fessor, they  are  vanquished !  "  and  again 
the  laugh  rang  out,  and  we  distinguished 
Mrs.  Lucy  Tabiatha  Stimrjkins  and  Pro- 
fessor Jackson.  "  You  see,"  she  con- 
tinued, "  Lincoln's  election  has  knocked 
these  fellows.  Thanks  to  the  Harmonial 
philosophy,  this  is  a  triumph  of  Liberty 
— a  triumph  for  human  freedom — a  tri- 
umph of  the  genial  power  of  woman.  I 
well  remember  when  these  fellows,  not 
long  since,  run  me  out  of  the  telegraph 
office  by  their  unseemly  laughter.  Now 
I  can  laugh — ha  !  ha !  Professor  Jack- 
son ? " 

Jackson. — "  Indeed,  it  is  the  first  triumph 
I  have  enjoyed." 

Mrs.  Lucy. — Oh,  no,  Professor  !  the  honor 
is  not  mine,  but  my  principles.  A  New 
York  paper  has  for  years  claimed  that  it 
always  elected  the  Presidents.  But  now 
let  that  editor  look,  and  see  what  woman 
has  done.  To  see  those  fellows,  those 
dealers  in  human  flesh,  wdth  tears  in  their 
eyes,  and  wThining  at  the  giant  power  of 
woman  !  "  In  another  moment  she  darted 
through  the  crowd,  Professor  Jackson  try- 
ing to  follow,  even  while  roars  of  laughter 
sprang  from  the  throats  of  thousands. 

For  my  part,  I  rather  enjoyed  it,  but 
gentle  Ann  turned  away  her  face,  saying, 
"  Oh,  for  shame  !  Take  me  home,  I  pray 
you." 

"  Why,  no,"  I  said ;  "  let  us  follow  a 
little,  and  see  what  more  she  says."  But 
my  companion  hid  her  face  with  her  fan, 
and  pulled  at  me  to  go  the  other  way,  and 
T  went.     I  saw  other  ladies  do  so  too,  and 


I  wondered  at  it,  for  the  men  all  longed 
to  follow  Mrs.  Lucy,  to  hear  the  style  of 
her  enjoyment. 

After  we  came  below  the  Capitol,  we 
looked  at  the  sun  again,  and  the  colors 
were  still  there — a  fact  which  I  remarked 
to  my  companion ;  whereupon  she  sug- 
gested that  we  should  seat  ourselves  be- 
neath the  trees,  and  await  the  issue.  But 
I  told  her  I  was  under  the  necessity  of 
hastening  home,  because  I  was  to  carry 
the  result  of  the  vote  to  the  President. 

"You- have  never  a  moment  to  spare 
when  we  walk  out,"  said  she.  I  told  her 
then  we  would  linger  awhile  if  she  liked, 
though  she  said,  "No;  when  I  bethink 
me,  now,  I  have  no  time  either."  And  so 
we  started  homeward.  I  often  wondered 
why  it  was  that  I  did  not  seize  upon  the 
opportunity  she  offered.  When  we  reach- 
ed the  gate  we  were  met  by  the  clerk,  who 
had  anticipated  our  weariness,  and  brought 
the  Judge's  carriage  to  take  us  home.  He 
had  the  best  joke  of  the  season,  he  said, 
and  he  longed  to  tell  it  to  me  in  full,  al- 
though he  further  said  that  the  joke  was 
not  yet  fully  completed.  At  that  instant 
Wadsworth  came  up,  and  got  into  the  car- 
riage ;  whereupon  the  clerk  winked  to  me, 
as  much  as  to  say  I  should  come  near  him, 
and  leave  Miss  Underbill  to  the  care  of 
Wadsworth.  Before  I  reflected,  I  agreed 
to  it ;  but,  I  have  ever  since  considered  it 
a  very  weak  thing  on  my  part. 

In  a  little  while  we  were  all  safely  en- 
sconced in  the  Jackson  House.  The  clerk 
asked  me  to  w?ait  in  the  office  a  little  while, 
and  he  would  tell  me  the  joke  he  had  on 
foot.  Just  then  the  Judge,  with  the  Edge 
family,  came  up,  and  the  clerk,  seeing  them, 
shouted,  "  Oh,  indeed !  now  is  to  be  en- 
acted the  other  part  of  the  joke ;  "  and 
at  that  he  broke  away,  and  thereupon  took 
the  Judge  and  the  Edge  family  in  by  an- 
other way.  I  waited  a  while,  to  hear  wdiat 
it  was  that  he  should  be  so  excited  about, 
and  presently  I  saw  him  through  the  scut- 
tle window,  looking  in  toward  the  parlor. 
He  was  laughing  to  himself  fit  to  kill. 
This  made  me  uneasy,  for  I  wished  also 
to  enjoy  what  he  was  laughing  at,  but 
still  I  remained  a  long  while  a  spectator. 
Finally  he  broke  away,  and  ran  to  where 
I  was,  exclaiming,  "  It's  took  !  egad,  it's 
took !  Oh,  the  best  joke ! "  and  he 
slapped  his  thighs  and  laughed  heartily. 
As  soon  as  he  quieted  a  little  I  told  him 
to  tell  me  the  joke. 

"  I  have  just  completed  the  greatest 
feat,"  said  he,  and  he  took  me  aside  ; 
"  the  very  greatest  feat  you  ever  heard  of. 
You  know,"  said  he,  "  the  Judge  is  dead 
in  love  with  Vickey,  and  believes  she  is 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


69 


going  to  marry  him.  And,  would  you 
think  it  ?  I've  got  an  old  maid  dead  in 
love  with  the  Judge.  You  know  Mrs. 
Edge — kind-hearted  old  woman  !  She 
wonders  why  the  Judge  is  always  round 
them.  So,  a  week  ago,  I  sat  down  and 
talked  the  matter  over  with  her.  I  told 
her  the  Judge  admired  her  more  than  he 
did  any  woman  he  ever  saw.  She  believed 
it— felt  wonderfully  flattered  ;  whereupon 
I  told  her  that  any  of  the  Edge  family  was 
an  angel  to  the  Judge. 

"  '  Indeed,  do  you  think  so  ? '  said  she. 

"  Said  I,  '  I  know  so.  He  told  me  he 
never  saw  so  fair  and  noble  a  woman  as 
you.  He  is  tired  of  fashionable  follies. 
He  says  that  you  are  not  ashamed  to  own 
that  you  once  made  candles  and  soap  for 
a  living,  and  he  loves  you  for  it.' 

"  '  Well,  really,'  said  she,  '  I  kind  of 
thought  so.  I  admire  him  for  it,  too. 
But,  you  know  such  things  must  not  be 
talked  of.  I  will  tell  you,'  she  added,  in 
a  whisper,  '  I  have  a  maiden  sister,  the 
very  picture  of  me  (only,  some  folks  say  I 
was  a  little— just  a  little — handsomer  than 
she  is),  and  she  has  three  thousand  dollars. 
Now,  what  is  your  opinion  ?  If  I  send  for 
her,  do  you  think  he  would  take  her  ? ' 

"  '  Of  course  he  would,'  said  I.  '  He 
would  marry  any  one  related  to  you ;  I 
know  he  would.' 

" '  Well,  now,  really  ! '  said  she,  smiling. 
1  They  are  just  about  the  same  age,  only 
I  must  say  she  may  look  a  little  older  of 
the  two ;  but  then,  you  know  women  al- 
ways get  to  looking  old  sooner  than  men.' 

"  I  told  her  to  lose  no  time,  but  send  for 
her  sister  at  once.  When  this  conversation 
was  ended  the  old  woman  became  so 
anxious  about  it,  that  she  immediately 
wrote  and  posted  a  letter  to  her 
sister.  So  now,  to-day,  while  all  of  you 
were  off  to  the  Capitol — in  fact,  all  the 
Edges,  too,  being  absent — the  old  maiden 
sister  came,  all  breathless  and  dirt,  fearing 
some  of  the  Edge  family  were  dying,  be- 
cause they  had  sent  for  her  to  come.  She  is 
the  strangest  old  creature  I  ever  saw — so 
tall  and  thin,  and  leaned  away  over,  and 
as  harmless  seeming  as  an  angel.  I  don't 
think  she  is  exactly  in  her  right  wits,  but 
it  may  come  from  her  old  age.  Well,  as 
I  was  going  to  say,  you  were  all  absent 
when  she  came.  I  met  her  at  the  door, 
and  she  asked  me  for  the  landlord.  I 
told  her  I  was  the  man ;  and  she  smiled 
enough  to  show  me  she  had  not  a  tooth 
in  her  head,  as  she  said, 

"  '  Indeed,  sir,  you  are  a  youngdooking 
man  to  have  a  tavern  like  this.  Can  you 
tell  me,  sir,  what  is  the  matter  ?  My  name 
is  Peggy  Van  Dorn.' 


"  I  knew,  then,  who  she  was,  and  I  put 
my  hand  on  my  breast,  sighing, 

"  '  Ah,  indeed,  my  lady,  there's  matter 
enough  ! ' 

"  'What !  are  they  dying  ? '  said  she, 
and  she  pulled  out  her  awful  long  hand- 
kerchief, and  eyed  me  with  great  solem- 
nity. 

" '  Worse  than  death,  I  fear,'  said  I. 
'  Did  they  send  for  you  ? ' 

"  '  They  did,  and  I  hurried  with  all  my 
might ;  the  trains  are  so  slow  I  thought 
I'd  never  get  here.' 

" '  Well  indeed,'  said  I,  '  you  might 
hurry.  You  are  the  only  hope ;  it  rests 
with  you.' 

"  She  then  got  her  long  handkerchief 
to  her  eyes,  and  began  to  snuffle  a  little. 
I  told  her  that  none  of  them  were  sick, 
but  if  she  would  step  into  the  parlor  I 
would  tell  her  all  about  it.  She  at  once 
went  in,  I  having  told  her  you  were  all 
off  to  the  Capitol.  When  she  got  in  she 
took  off  her  bonnet  and  laid  it  down  on 
the  floor  beside  her  with  much  care,  fre- 
quently stopping  to  wring  her  nose  and 
wipe  away  the  tears. 

"  '  You  must  know,  then,'  I  began,  '  here 
in  Washington  is  one  Judge  Francis  Un- 
derbill, of  Loudon  Heights,  the  wisest 
man  that  ever  lived,  and  the  handsomest. 
He  is  worth  two  millions  of  dollars.  Well, 
now,  mind  you,  you  must  not  blame  a  man 
for  what  he  cannot  help,  nor  must  you 
think  hard  of  Washington  society  for 
what  you  yourself  might  do.  You  are 
aware,  also,  of  the  beauty  and  nobleness 
of  your  sister,  Mrs.  Edge,  and  of  her  ten 
thousand  pleasing  charms.  This  Judge, 
this  millionnaire,  has  formed  a  powerful 
attachment  to  her,  and  he  is  well-nigh 
distracted  to  learn  that  she  is  already 
married.  The  wisest  counsel  of  this  city 
has  been  in  session,  to  determine  what  to 
do  about  it,  not  wishing  to  see  so  great 
a  man  throw  himself  away  in  such  a  man- 
ner. Many  of  them  having  been  ac- 
quainted with  you,  and  knowing  the 
striking  resemblance  between  you  and 
your  sister,  it  has  been  decided  that  in 
this  emergency  you  should  consult  with 
the  Judge,  in  hopes  that  your  excellent 
judgment  may  devise  a  means  to  win  his 
affections  away  from  her.' 

"  She  looked  steadily  at  me  a  moment, 
and  then  said,  '  How  old  is  he  ?  ' 

"  I  told  her  he  was  about  sixty. 

"  '  I'm  afraid  he's  too  old  for  me,'  said 
she,  and  again  slie  wiped  her  eyes,  seem- 
ing lost  in  reflection.  '  I  am  but  fifty-one, 
past  since  last  4th  of  July.' 

"  '  That's  nothing,'  said  I ;  '  you  cannot 
be  insensible  to  the  fact  vou  are  both  at 


70 


TEE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


least  old  enough  to  marry.     You  do  not 
wish  to  live  to  be  an  old  maid  ? ' 

"  She  shook  her  head  in  the  negative, 
and  then  changed  her  bonnet  over  to  the 
other  side.  '  How  much  did  you  say  he's 
worth  ? '  said  she. 

" '  He's  worth  a  million  of  dollars,' 
said  I. 

" '  I  thought  you  said  two  millions,' 
said  she. 

" '  Well,  I  dare  say,'  said  I,  '  he  is 
worth  two  millions.  It  is  almost  impos- 
sible to  estimate  his  wealth.' 

"  Again  she  shook  her  head  in  the 
negative,  and  looked  straight  out  another 
way. 

"  '  You  are  aware,  also,'  said  I,  '  that 
there  are  plenty  of  instances  where  men 
have  fallen  in  love  with  other  men's 
wives,  resulting  in  the  most  fearful  con- 
sequences. I  must  not  name  them,  but 
the  history  of  this  city  is  not  clear  of 
such  stains ;  and  if  we  go  to  England, 
France,  and  Italy,  we  find  high  life  full 
of  it.  In  all  countries,  in  the  highest 
walks  of  life,  the  marriages  are  always 
planned  out  by  proxy,  the  persons  them- 
selves being  merely  children  to  the  wise 
counsels  of  their  best  friends.  In  many 
countries  it  has  been  found  necessary  to 
make  a  law  governing  the  marriages  of 
the  heirs  of  royal  and  imperial  families. 
In  this  country,  of  course,  we  have  no 
such  law ;  but  then,  you  know,  the  same 
thing  is  done  in  other  ways.  We  find 
we  must  protect  the  truly  noble.  You 
and  the  Edge  family  have  risen  from  can- 
dle-makers and  soap-boilers  to  be  persons 
of  the  highest  quality.  Nobleness  is  yours 
by  nature.' 

"  '  I  have  always  felt  that,'  she  said,  and 
she  seemed  to  see  a  ray  of  happiness  beam- 
ing on  her  withered  future. 

" '  It  is,  therefore,  thought  meet  and 
proper  that  we  bring  you  and  the  Judge 
face  to  face,  to  see  if  indeed  such  a  mar- 
riage might  not  be  not  only  a  thing  of 
necessity,  but  a  pleasurable  consumma- 
tion. He  has  already  given  his  consent, 
and  longs  to  be  presented  to  you.' 

"  I  feared  I  was  getting  it  on  too  thick, 
and  so  I  waited  a  moment  to  see  what 
reply  she  would  make.  Having  taken 
her  bonnet  up  and  set  it  down  on  the 
other  side,  and  flourished  her  handker- 
chief a  little,  and  brushed  awajr  some 
imaginary  specks  from  her  dress,  she 
finally  ventured  to  ask,  '  What  kind  of 
looking  man  is  he  ? '  and  I  answered  and 
said,  '  One  of  the  most  noble  you  ever  laid 
eyes  on.  He  is,  to  be  sure,  rather  stout 
and  fleshy,  but  he  is  so  fair  and  so  fresh, 
like  a  ripe  apple.     He  is  not  tall,  nor  is 


he  short ;  and  he  carries  his  head  con- 
siderably in  the  rear  of  his  abdominal 
viscera,  iu  real  royal  fashion.  His  fore- 
head is  so  large,  and  extends  so  far  over 
the  top  of  his  head,  you  would  almost 
think  him  bald;  but  this  comes  of  his 
princely  blood.  Such  feet  and  hands ! 
they  arc  like  a  lady's,  so  soft  and  delicate.' 

"Again  I  waited  a  moment  to  see  the 
impression  I  made  on  her,  and  she  replied 
that  she  had  read  somewhere  that  oppo- 
site figures  made  even  numbers;  that,  as 
she  was  tall,  she  needed  a  stout  man  ;  that 
her  hands  and  feet  were  large,  and  so  she 
had  always  admired  Bmall  ones  most. 

"  Now,  while  we  talked  thus,  I  was  ap- 
prised the  Judge  might  return  any  mo- 
ment, and  I  might  be  caught  in  a  rather 
meddlesome  business.  Accordingly  I  as- 
sured her  that  the  Judge's  mind  was  made 
up  ;  that  she  must  take  it  for  granted  that 
every  one  was  expecting  her  to  reciprocate 
his  affection,  and  never  to  cast  a  doubt  in 
the  way.  *  You  have,  therefore,'  I  con- 
cluded, '  nothing  more  to  say,  when  you 
meet  him,  than  that  the  proposed  mar- 
riage is  your  extreme  pleasure.  But  if 
you,  when  you  see  him,  do  not  like  him, 
you  can  tell  him  that  you  oppose  the  mar- 
riage, and  it  will  end  there.'  I  rose  up 
then  to  go,  and  she  rose  up  too,  dangling 
her  bonnet  by  the  strings,  and  with  some 
hesitancy  she  asked,  '  You  think  he's  got 
the  money  ? '  I  assured  her  there  was  no 
doubt  about  that  at  all,  and  then  told  her 
to  keep  her  seat  till  I  brought  in  the  Judge. 
She  looked  both  pleased  and  scared,  and 
complied  with  my  request.  Then  I  sallied 
out  to  meet  the  Judge,  and  to  post  him 
on  the  part  he  was  to  play.  Fortunately, 
I  met  him  near  the  gate,  and  called  him 
aside,  leaving  Mrs.  Edge,  Mr.  Edge,  and 
Vickey  viewing  the  rainbow  round  the 
sun. 

"  '  Now,  Judge,'  said  I,  as  soon  as  I 
got  him  alone,  '  I  have  more  to  tell  you 
about  your  expected  marriage  than  you 
ever  dreamed  of.' 

"  '  Pooh  ! '  said  he  ;  '  about  my  mar- 
riage ? ' 

"  '  There  is  no  use  making  long  words 
about  it,  Judge,'  said  I ;  '  I  know  you  and 
Vickey  are  dead  in  love  with  each  other, 
and  I  know,  too,  that  a  great  obstacle  is 
in  the  way,  which  will  probably  prevent 
you  from  ever  marrying.  No  joking, 
Judge ;  I  want  a  fashionable  wedding  at 
our  hotel,  and  I  want  everything  to  go 
off  smoothly;  but  I  tell  you  there  is  a 
cat  in  the  bag,  and  it  will  scratch  like 
fury  if  you  don't  look  out.'  The  Judge 
thought  there  might  be  some  truth  in  it, 
and  he  merely  told  me  to  go  on,  to  say 


LOVE  AND  WAR   IN   1SG0. 


71 


what  I  had  to  say.  '  Now,'  said  I,  '  Judge, 
you  know  Mrs.  Edge  has  never  given  her 
consent,  and  she  is  really  the  master  over 
Vickey's  affections.  She  can,  by  the  mere 
crook  of  her  finger,  turn  her  daughter's 
love  all  over  to  Prescott,  for  whom  the 
girl  has  a  great  admiration.  Now,  there 
is  one  way  in  which  the  old  woman  can 
be  wou  over,  and  that  is  through  her  old 
maiden  sister.  This  is  a  poor,  old, 
dwindled  creature,  not  worth  a  pinch  of 
snuff.  And  yet  Mrs.  Edge  does  whatever 
this  old  half-witted  maid  bids  her;  she 
looks  to  her,  in  fact,  as  a  master,  ruling 
spirit.  Now  I  come  to  the  joke  :  I  put 
up  Mrs.  Edge  to  send  for  this  old  maid 
(so  we  could  have  the  thing  in  our  own 
hands),  in  order  to  let  her  see  high  life 
in  "Washington.  The  maid  has  come,  and 
is  now  at  the  Jackson  House.  I  want  you 
to  soft-soap  her  up — in  fact,  to  court  her 
a  little,  no  matter  how  distasteful  it  may 
be,  in  order  that  she  may  buy  over  Mrs. 
Edge's  goodwill  to  us.  I  have  had  a  long 
talk  with  her.  Her  name  is  Peggy  Van 
Dorn  ;  and  I  told  her  that  you  and  Vickey 
were  in  such  great  hopes  that  her  influence 
would  overcome  Mrs.  Edge,  that  she  had 
been  sent  for  for  that  very  purpose.  And 
I  promised  her  that,  for  her  good  influence 
in  this,  we  would  all  put  our  heads  to- 
gether and  secure  a  husband  for  herself 
in  the  bargain.  She  is  in  great  glee,  and 
I  do  hope  we  can  keep  it  up ;  perhaps 
some  fun  will  come  of  it.' 

"  '  Now,  as  I  am  a  Judge,'  said  he,  '  you 
are  the  cunningest  rascal  I  ever  heard  of! 
But  say,  you,  can  we  not  get  up  some  old 
fool  to  marry  her  ?  I  wTould  enjoy  it  so 
much  !  Why,  I  can  make  an  old  woman 
like  that  believe  she  is  a  perfect  angel. 
But  how  could  you  invent  such  a  thing 
for  such  an  old  person  ?     Oh,  you  rascal ! ' 

"  '  Oh,  we'll  marry  her  off  to  somebody,' 
said  I ;  '  we'll  pay  her  off  some  way  ;  only 
vou  play  well  your  part.' 

"  '  Trust  me  to  that,'  said  he.  '  I'll  do 
such  wonders  on  her  affections  as  makes 
Cupid  tremble  for  his  profession.  You 
leave  that  to  me.' 

■•  We  then  returned  to  the  carriage,  and, 
with  our  company,  proceeded  to  the  Jack- 
son House.  On  the  way  up  I  told  them 
all  of  the  arrival  of  Miss  Peggy  Van  Dorn, 
and  of  her  desire  to  see  them  all. 

"  As  soon  as  we  alighted,  Mrs.  Edge  and 
Vickey  hastened  in  to  see  her ;  Mr.  Edge 
•went  into  the  office  to  examine  his  papers 
in  reference  to  some  new  railroad  project. 
With  the  Jud^e  I  lingered  outside  till  the 


common  greetings  between  the  ladies 
should  be  over,  and  then  we  entered  the 
parlur.  Of  course,  the  Judge  was  intro- 
duced, and  a  general  free  conversation 
ensued  about  the  result  of  the  doings  at 
the  Capitol.  In  a  little  wdiile,  however, 
Mrs.  Edge  called  Vickey,  being  anxious 
to  leave  the  Judge  with  her  sister  for  a 
moment,  promising  that  she  would  return 
to  the  parlor  in  one  minute.  The  Judge 
then  told  her  of  his  extreme  happiness  in 
getting  acquainted  with  the  Edge  family, 
and  added  that  there  was  only  one  link 
to  fasten,  before  the  chainwork  would  be 
completed,  which  would  be  the  happiest 
event  of  his  life.  '  It  seems  as  though  I 
still  have  another  consent  to  win,  and 
that  is  yours.'  She  was  silent,  and  pull- 
ing furiously  at  the  bonnet  strings.  '  You 
know,  at  your  time  of  life,  which,  like  my 
own,  is  well-nigh  spent,  a  little  encourage- 
ment is  a  thing  of  great  joy.  You  are  yet 
capable  of  feeling  those  warm  emotions, 
and  you  know,  too,  that  a  brighter  day 
awaits  your  happy  decision.' 

"  I  don't  believe  she  knew  a  word  he 
said,  and  I  thought  she  had  foi'gotten 
what  I  said ;  so  I  kept  near  her  back, 
digging  her  old  ribs,  telling  her  to  say, 
'  I  admire  you,  sir ;  I  consent  to  the  mar- 
riage, sir ; '  but  she  was  so  frightened, 
and  withal  had  so  much  fuss  with  her 
bonnet  strings,  and  I  feared  every  mo- 
ment some  one  else  would  come  in,  that 
I  was  nearly  frantic  with  anxiety. 

" '  You  have    been    apprized    of   Mrs. 
Edge's  decision  ? '  asked  the  Judge. 
"  '  Oh,  yes,  sir ;  I — I — '  she  replied. 

"  '  Well,'  said  he,  '  I  trust  we  understand 
each  other  ? ' 

"  '  Tell  him  you  consent,'  said  I ;  and, 
before  she  thought,  she  said, 

"  '  Oh,  yes ;  I — I  consent  to  the  mar- 
riage.' 

"  The  Judge  then  took  her  withered 
hand  in  his,  saying,  '  I  say,  now,  you  are 
a  very  queen,  an  angel.  I  never  saw  such 
majesty.  You  have  performed  your  part 
like  a  princess  of  the  royal  family  of 
Britain  ; '  and  he  danced  about,  dragging 
her  after  him  in  greater  glee  than  I  had 
seen  him  in  a  dozen  years ;  and  she 
herself  danced  a  little.  Just  then  Vickey 
and  her  mother  came  in,  exclaiming,  '  Well, 
did  I  ever  ! '  I  turned,  and  told  them  the 
Judge  was  so  anxious  to  meet  one  that  re- 
joiced in  Lincoln's  election,  that  he  danced 
like  a  child.  They  then  took  her  out,  and 
I  returned  to  the  office." 

Thus  ended  the  clerk's  story. 


72 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER ;  OR, 


CHATTER    X 


Short  sentences,  I  said  to  Jenkins,  are 
easily  understood.  We  can  always  dis- 
cover in  them  the  author's  meaning.  Re- 
ferred him  to  many  authors,  naming  even 
some  of  our  greatest  modern  citizen  wri- 
ters. But,  he  said,  for  his  part  he  liked 
long  sentences  the  best,  and  maintained 
that  they  left  the  sweetest  and  most  im- 
pressive influence,  referring  me  to  one  of 
our  great  American  poets,  quoting  this 
beautiful  verse : 

"  I  laid  on  my  back  and  viewed  the  setting  sun, 
And,  as  the  radiance  laded  out, 
I  sucked  the  sky  to  keep  it  there." 

And,  as  a  proof  of  its  elegance,  he  told 
me  that  that  poet  had  been  named  after 
the  famous  cotton  mills  of  Massachusetts 
simply  for  having  sucked  the  sky.  He 
smiled  in  triumph,  and,  taking  up  his 
notes,  proceeded  as  follows  : 

I  had  no  more  time  to  spare  than  to 
hear  the  clerk's  story,  but  hastily  took 
leave  of  gentle  Ann  and  Wadsworth, 
whom  I  most  reluctantly  had  to  leave 
together  while  I  departed  to  acquaint  the 
President  with  the  result  of  the  election. 
This  was  only  a  few  minutes — at  most  not 
an  hour — after  we  were  at  the  Capitol. 
But  what  was  my  surprise,  on  going  to 
the  door  of  the  Jackson  House,  to  behold 
Floyd,  Davis,  Mason,  Madame  Ponchard, 
and  Orsini  flying  past  in  a  carriage  drawn 
by  two  spirited  horses  in  the  direction  of 
the  White  House.  I  determined  to  be 
there  before  them,  and  ordered  my  driver 
accordingly  ;  being  well  armed,  and  fully 
determined  that,  if  Floyd  gave  me  any 
justifiable  ground  at  all,  I  would  be  a  full 
match  for  him.  In  fact,  I  even  hoped  that 
he  would  shoot  at  me,  or  stab  me,  or  in 
some  wray  give  me  an  excuse  for  ending 
his  career.  It  could  not  be  gainsaid  that 
he  had  bartered  himself,  and  his  oath,  and 
his  office.  He  had  forfeited  still  more 
sacred  trusts,  and  even  publicly  challenged 
God  to  grind  his  body  into  dust  if  he  ever 
again  yielded  to  his  former  obligations ; 
that  not  a  vestige  of  this  country  should 
ever  be  governed  by  States  prohibiting 
slavery.  He  revoked  all  his  former  life, 
and  now  stood  sworn  the  opposite  way, 
even  while  he  was  Secretary  of  War. 
Davis  was  more  silent  and  cunning,  using 


him  as  a  cat's-paw  to  his  deeper-laid 
schemes.  Rhett,  Davis,  and  Toombs 
were,  in  fact,  the  master  spirits;  while 
the  more  profane  and  weaker  instru- 
ments, Cobl),  Yancey,  Floyd,  Mason, 
Slidell,  Hunter,  Thompson,  Iverson,  Breck- 
enridge,  Wigfall,  Miles,  and  others,  were 
barking  bloodhounds  sent  out  to  start  the 
game. 

Buchanan  was  waiting  in  the  hall  to 
receive  me ;  for,  though  he  had  heard 
from  the  general  election  that  Lincoln 
was  elected,  he  still  clung  to  the  hope 
that  in  the  electoral  college  some  of  the 
minority  candidates  might  come  over, 
and,  through  their  united  votes,  beat 
Lincoln.  There  was  scarcely  a  shadow 
of  difference  between  Douglas,  Bell,  and 
Breckinridge.  They  had  all  run  on  the 
slaveholders'  platform,  only  the  former  ran 
it  blind  in  deceiving  the  people.  They 
had  merely  lent  themselves  to  a  pretended 
difference,  but  all  for  a  Southern,  sectional, 
slave  purpose.  Lincoln  ran  against  all 
these  men,  and  on  a  platform  to  settle  all 
the  national  troubles  by  a  constitutional 
amendment.  He  beat  them  all.  The  na- 
tion decided  to  amend  the  Constitution, 
so  as  to  prohibit  slavery  where  the  other 
party  wanted  to  introduce  it.  The  ques- 
tion was  settled.  The  election  made  it 
law  in  the  hearts  of  the  American  people. 
All  it  needed  was  execution.  Now,  this 
being  so,  the  beaten  party  would  never 
have  hereafter  a  clue  for  arguments, 
whereby  they  could  obtain  office.  This 
election  made  their  political  death. 

As  I  stated  before,  the  President  was 
waiting  for  me,  apparently  very  much 
downcast,  and  he  hardly  saw  me  ere  he 
feebly  said, 

"  Tell  me,  sir,  oh,  I  pray  you,  is  it  true  ? 
Has  he  indeed  the  majority  of  all  the 
votes  ? "     ■ 

"  He  has,"  said  I ;  "it  is  certainly  true ; 
Lincolu  is  elected  to  be  the  next  Presi- 
dent," 

"  That  can  never  be  !  "  he  said  ;  "  no 
man  shall  ever  be  President  of  these 
United  States  after  me.  What  say  Davis, 
Toombs,  and  Rhett  ?  " 

"  Rhett  has  gone  home,"  said  I,  "  and 
he  gave  strict  orders  that  you  be  informed 


LOVE  AND  WAK  IN   1860. 


73 


that,  ere  tomorrow's  setting  sun,  one  star  . 
shall  be  ripped  from  the  American  flag." 

"I  told  the  people  this,"  replied  Bu- 
chanan. "  They  would  not  go  according 
to  the  Constitution.  They  have  voted  to 
rob  the  South  of  the  vast  "West,  and  the 
South  will  never  stand  it.  That  great 
unsettled  territory  was  as  much  intended 
by  the  Constitution  to  be  for  the  South 
as  for  the  North.  But  this  vote  has  used 
the  liberty  of  voting  the  national  domain 
over  to  the  free  States.  If  there  be  war, 
the  North  have  themselves  to  blame.  I'll 
never  raise  a  hand  in  their  behalf.  If 
there  is  any  justice  at  all,  it  is  all  on  the 
other  side.  Come  in ;  I  shall  write  such 
a  message,  and  you  shall  pen  it  for  me, 
that  the  very  reading  of  it  shall  overturn 
this  whole  affair.  Take  my  word  for  it, 
if  there  be  ever  another  President  for  the 
whole  of  the  States,  it  will  be  either  Davis 
or  Toombs,  Lincoln's  election  to  the  con- 
trary notwithstanding." 

Hardly  had  we  turned  to  enter  the  Man- 
siont  when  Prescott  came  uf>  on  a  full  run, 
shouting, 

"  South  Carolina  has  already  passed  the 
ordinance  of  secession.  It  was  passed 
unanimously,  immediately  on  receipt 
of  the  news,  by  telegraph,  from  Rhett,  of 
the  result  of  the  electoral  vote." 

We  were  astounded.  It  had  been  sus- 
pected, but  not  to  take  place  so  suddenly. 
Buchanau  nodded  his  head  a  little  aside, 
saying, 

"  I  told  them  so  ;  I  told  them  so." 

He  then  took  us  both  in,  and  we  all 
seated  ourselves  to  weigh  the  matter  at 
our  ease.  Just  then  Davis  and  Floyd 
came  in,  even  without  any  ceremony,  the 
doors  being  open,  and  affording  a  free 
passage. 

"  I  know  the  meaning  of  this,"  said 
Floyd,  as  soon  as  we  were  all  squarely 
face  to  face.  He  eyed  me.  "  It  is  the 
furtherance  of  that  dastardly  election  ;  it 
is  a  hurried  dodge  to  sway  a  Christian 
President  from  his  constitutional  obliga- 
tions." 

I  told  him  I  was  ordered  by  the  Presi- 
dent to  be  here  at  this  time  for  his  special 
purposes,  and  that  I  could  hear  no  per- 
sonal insinuations.  "  I  know,  too,"  said 
I,  "  all  the  plans  and  purposes  of  the  se- 
cessionists ;  it  is  my  duty,  as  a  citizen,  to 
inform  the  President  of  what  I  know." 

"And  how  did  you  gain  your  in- 
formation ?  "  said  he.  "  As  a  spy  ?  Ay, 
worse  !  as  a  British  subject — the  most 
abject  of  all  falsity.  You  have  more 
shamed  the  name  of  American  than  could 
any  living  man.  Any  falsity  but  this, 
this  base  assumption.     Tell  all  you  know 


of  us,  and,  when  it  is  known  that  you  put 
on  the  garb  of  an  Englishman,  no  Ameri- 
can will  believe  a  word  you  say.  A  man 
so  mean  cannot  speak  the  truth." 

Now,  I  must  confess  I  felt  a  little 
shame,  and  was  at  some  loss  for  a  reply, 
so  suddenly  had  he  blown  upon  me.  Yet 
I  comanded  myself  a  moment,  and  said 
that  I  considered  any  deception  whatever 
would  be  justifiable,  if  it  should  succeed 
in  exposing  such  a  villainous  scheme  for 
extending  the  power  of  human  bondage 
by  usuqnng  a  government  founded  on 
civil  and  religious  liberty.  "  You  must 
be  aware  now,"  I  said,  "  that  my  deter- 
minations are  not  to  be  baffled  by  bluster. 
The  whole  country  knows  you  robbed  the 
national  Treasury.  Your  name  will  ever 
be  branded  as  thief." 

Buchanan  had  stepped  aside,  scared  for 
his  life,  and  Prescott  and  myself  were  in 
full  attitude  for  an  attack.  Davis,  too, 
seemed  to  shrink  back,  cowardly ;  but 
Floyd,  thief  as  he  was,  showed  no  signs 
of  fear.  He  was  armed  with  a  bowie 
knife  and  revolver ;  so  was  I,  and  so  was 
Prescott. 

"  Were  it  not  for  the  place,  I  would  cut 
you  in  two,"  said  Floyd  ;  and  I  retorted 
that  he  could  take  any  other  place  he 
chose,  either  by  notice  or  without  warn- 
ing. "  Only  too  glad  will  I  be,"  said  I, 
"  that  you  may  fall  upon  me  in  ambush 
or  in  public  or  by  appointment.  If  you 
have  no  conscience  other  than  to  perjure 
yourself,  I  will  teach  you." 

"  Oh,  gentlemen,  for  God's  sake  !  "  said 
Buchanan,  his  knees  shaking  so  he  could 
hardly  stand,  "  will  you  leave  me  ?  will 
you  retire  ? " 

"  Only  this  message  have  we,"  said 
Floyd,  "  to  tell  your  Excellency,  that 
commissioners  are  to  be  appointed  to  call 
on  you  to  negotiate  for  the  sale  of  the 
forts,  arsenals,  and  Government  property 
in  South  Carolina,  and  that  they  must  be 
received  and  treated  as  emissaries  of  a 
foreign  country." 

Buchanan  was  so  frightened  he  knew 
not  what  to  say,  and  stood  there  trem- 
bling, till  Floyd  and  Davis  bowed  them- 
selves out.  "  Oh,  sir,"  he  then  said  to 
me,  "if  there  should  be  blood  shed  in 
this  house  !  If  I  should  be  killed  !  What 
have  I  done  ?  God  knows  I  have  stood 
by  the  Constitution  ! " 

* "  I  think  you  have  not,"  said  Prescott. 
"  You  have  stood  by  the  South.  You 
now  stand  by  the  South.  You  see  them 
rob  the  nation  ;  see  them  plotting  trea- 
son ;  see  them  doing  in  South  Carolina 
what  Jackson  stopped  them  from  doing ; 
see  the  election  of  Lincoln  in  a  constitu- 


74 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


tional  manner,  and  you  declare  it  is  un- 
constitutional. You  crouch  and  tremble 
here,  while  these  common  traitors  dictate 
to  you  the  terms  you  shall  yourself  sub- 
scribe to.  In  cases  of  emergency  you  can 
call  out  the  national  forces,  but  you  creep 
into  technicalities  to  avoid  enforcing  the 
constitutional  laws  you  have  sworn  to 
protect." 

"  Oh,  sir,  I  am  in  no  humor  for  this.  I 
know  I  seem  so  to  everybody,  but  it  is 
not  so — I  am  no  child ;  I  can  speak  ;  I 
will  show  these  fellows  what  I  can  do.  I 
will  never,  so  help  me  Heaven  !  never  sell 
these  forts  and  arsenals.  But  I  pray  you 
both,  leave  me  awhile.  I  am  a  little  ex- 
cited— I  fear  I  am." 

Before  we  had  time  to  leave,  he  had 
himself  withdrawn.  In  a  minute  more 
we  weuded  our  way  out.  When  in  the 
hallway  I  touched  Prescott's  arm,  and 
with  one  hand  drew  forth  my  bowie  knife, 
remarking,  "  This  had  most  assuredly  been 
Floyd's  death,  had  he  raised  a  hand  on 
me." 

Right  before  us,  outside  the  Mansion, 
and  near  the  upper  step,  was  Madarae 
Ponchard.  She  saw  the  knife,  which  I 
instantly  sheathed,  and  I  heard  her  pat 
distinctly  with  her  foot  on  the  stone — a 
signal,  I  thought,  to  some  one — and  I 
left  my  hand  still  resting  on  the  handle 
of  my  knife.  A  few  paces  brought  us  to 
the  outside  door.  To  the  left,  and  below, 
there  stood  Orsini,  both  hands  in  his 
pockets,  and  he  was  apparently  in  a 
sleepy  attitude.  He  had  been  stationed 
there,  no  doubt,  to  stab  me ;  but  her  sig- 
nal was  to  Avarn  him  that  a  witness  was 
by,  and  one  that  would  perhaps  fall  on 
him.  Perhaps  the  showing  of  my  knife 
saved  us,  yet  this  was  merely  conjecture. 
We  passed  out  unharmed,  and  were  soon 
in  our  carriage  on  the  way  back. 

"  Oh ! "  says  Prescott,  as  soon  as  we 
were  seated,  "  oh,  do  you  know  I  believe 
I  have  found  your  fugitive  ?  I  am  almost 
certain  I  have." 

Now  I  had  previously  told  Prescott 
about  the  slave  girl ;  that  I  had  lost 
trace  of  her,  although  I  had  searched  the 
city  over  and  over.  He  then  told  me 
that,  if  I  had  no  objection,  we  would 
drive  that  way,  and  he  would  show  me 
the  place  where  he  was  confident  he  had 
seen  her  on  a  previous  occasion. 

Accordingly  we  proceeded  over  to  the 
east  side  of  town,  down  Clay  to  Mont- 
gomery street,  and  then  down  Park  Ave- 
nue. Here  we  encountered  a  dusky-look- 
ing washing  and  ironing  establishment, 
where  a  pug-nosed  old  woman  kept  her- 
self half  hidden  behind  poles,  tubs,  and 


clothes.  "  This  is  the  spot,"  said  Pres- 
cott, as  he  was  about  halting.  "  Let  us 
call  and  ascertain.  I  am  sure  I  saw  just 
such  a  person  here  at  the  break  of  day 
this  morning."  I  told  him,  however,  to 
drive  on,  for  we  would  probably  only 
frighten  her,  and  not  succeed  in  getting 
an  interview.  He  acceded  to  this,  and, 
after  we  had  passed  a  square  further  on, 
I  bid  him  excuse  me  ;  that  I  would  re- 
turn, while  he  proceeded  homeward  ; 
cautioning  him,  too,  that,  as  it  was  get- 
ting late,  he  should  make  good  speed, 
keeping  an  eye  out  for  assassins. 

In  a  few  minutes  afterwards  I  was 
before  the  washerwoman,  endeavoring 
to  gain  the  required  information.  She 
was  Irish,  and  spoke  in  exceedingly 
broad  accents,  and  was  stubborn  to  all 
my  queries,  seeming  to  know  nothing 
about  what  I  meant.  She  was,  she  said, 
an  honest,  hard-working  woman,  and 
hoped  that  other  folks  would  do  the 
same  as  she  did.  She  was  sure,  she  said, 
that  I  was  not  such  a  fool  as  to  think 
that  two  persons  could  live  in  a  shanty 
as  small  as  hers.  I  told  her  I  was  a  friend 
of  the  missing  girl.  What  had  she  to  do 
with  that  ?  she  said.  Surely,  if  she  washed 
and  ironed  her  clothes  like  an  honest  wom- 
an, I  should  not  come  there  and  bother 
her  with  my  tomfoolery. 

For  a  long  time  I  talked  with  this  old 
woman,  who  persisted  to  the  last  that  she 
never  saw  nor  heard  of  the  slave  girl  I  was 
seeking.  Yet,  she  betrayed  such  signs  as 
made  me  sure  she  was  playing  false.  I 
could  do  no  better,  however,  than  reluc- 
tantly to  turn  away,  saying,  "  In  half  an 
hour  I  will  pass  here  again.  If  the  said 
girl  is  here,  bid  her  secrete  herself  where 
she  can  see  me  as  I  pass.  If  she  knows 
me  to  be  her  friend,  bid  her  speak.  If 
she  does  not,  let  her  keep  secreted.  I  will 
never  trouble  you  more."  Again  she  per- 
sisted it  was  nonsense  to  talk  such  stuff  to 
her ;  that  I  might  pass  the  shanty  a  hun- 
dred or  a  thousand  times  if  I  liked,  pro- 
vided I  did  not  trouble  her  with  my  non- 
sense. I  left,  and  strolled  round  awhile, 
and  then,  in  about  half  an  hour,  started 
back.  Ere  I  reached  the  place,  however, 
and  in  passing  some  plaster  and  boards 
where  the  builders  had  been  at  work, 
some  one  called  my  name.  I  turned,  and 
faced  the  sound. 

"  It  is,  then — it  is  indeed  my  friend  !  " 

I  heard  the  voice  behind  the  boards, 
while  plainly  before  me  rose  up  the  fair 
one,  bursting  into  tears.  I  knew  her  at 
once,  and  expressed  my  happiness  in  find- 
ing her. 

"  Oh,  sir,  pardon  me  that  I  act  so  un- 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


75 


becomingly  !  I  hardly  know  if  this  be 
life,  or  if  it  be  death  ;  exposure,  fear,  and 
hoped-for  joys  nearly  distract  me.  Scarce 
I  know  where  I  am,  and  yet  too  clearly 
do  the  vivid  scenes  appear." 

I  had  gone  near  her,  seeing  that  she  was 
in  fact  a  little  bewildered.  "  Be  calm," 
said  I ;  "  you  have  nothing  here  to  fear. 
Let  trust  in  me  give  you  time  to  collect 
your  presence.  Your  speech  betrays  a 
soul  strained  to  the  utmost.  If  this  do 
continue,  your  blood  will  take  improper 
roads,  and  so  derange  you  fully." 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  will  be  calm  ;  but  first  let 
me  weep.  Oh,  blessed  vent  to  woman's 
bursting  heart !  Oh,  sir,  that  I  could 
waste  myself  away  in  tears !  I  know 
that  God  has  sent  me  a  friend." 

She  then  caught  my  hand  in  both  hers 
— two  small  and  delicate  hands,  the  sight 
of  which,  so  fair,  like  swords  fell  on  the 
boasted  name  of  American,  to  hew  from 
us  at  a  dash  the  stain  on  liberty. 

"  With  me,  sir,  it  is  life,  or  it  is  death," 
she  continued.  "  The  sea  of  agony  is  over- 
flooded  ;  desperate  is  my  hunger  for  kind 
words,  and  in  the  surge  betwixt  two  con- 
trary tides  I  seem  the  fool.  Please,  sir,  I 
will  not  weep  long.  Oh  !  oh  ! "  She 
started,  looked  up  the  avenue,  and  again 
composed  herself.  "  A  sound  of  common 
things.  You  see  that  carriage  ?  I  am 
half  unhinged.  Why !  did  you  go  to 
the  old  place  to  find  me  ?  " 

I  told  her  I  did. 

"  No  wonder,"  said  she.  "  I  was  barred 
out.  I  ran  away  that  very  night,  God 
knows  where — I  don't ;  but  I  walked 
nearly  all  night,  and  then  I  came  to  yon- 
der new  buildings,  and  laid  me  down  on 
the  shavings  to  sleep.  Praise  Heaven,  I 
slept  so  sweetly  !  I  dreamed  I  flew,  with 
a  friend,  from  my  native  country — that  I 
was  free.     How  did  you  find  me,  sir  ?  " 

I  then  told  her  it  was  through  Pres- 
cott ;  that  I  had,  however,  previously 
searched  all  over  the  city  in  vain. 

"  I  throw  myself  all  on  you,"  she  inter- 
rupted. "  I  know  you  will  take  me  safe 
to  Canada ;  that  you  will  shield  me  from 
every  danger.  Oh,  sir,  if  you  knew  my 
suffering,  you  would  ever  regard  my  fer- 
vency and  freedom  with  due  allowance. 
But  come,  I  wTill  take  you  to  the  old 
washerwoman's  shanty,  and  there  relate 
my  ills  and  threatened  barbarous  treat- 
ment. 'Tis  not  well  we  talk  long  in  this 
place.  Have  you  ever  been  in  Georgia  ? 
Oh,  we  have  pretty  places  there  !  But 
cold,  cold  be  the  hearts,  where  summer's 
radiance  ever  is ;  to  balance  fair  majestic 
Nature's  parts,  the  winter  is  all  in  human 
bosoms.     The  lily  springs  where  burning 


suns  pour  down ;  and  shadows,  too,  ap- 
pear cooler  and  darker  there,  but  not  iu 
wild  nature.  Oh,  no ;  only  in  man  is 
death !  I  could  tell  you  such  tales  of 
Georgia  and  Virginia,  you  would  call  me 
mad.  Who  was  this  Prescott  with  you  ? 
Do  you  know  he  is  your  friend  ?  Many 
men,  for  the  reward  of  five  hundred  dol- 
lars, would  betray  me." 

As  she  ran  on  in  this  way  we  were 
slowly  wending  our  way  back  to  the 
shanty,  and  I  observed  that  nearly  every 
moment  she  started  and  looked  about, 
as  if  suffering  with  great  fear  and  anxiety. 

"  And  why  should  I  not  be  ?  "  she  said. 
"  Six  times  have  I  run  off,  and  six  times 
captured  been,  bound,  and  carried  back. 
On  the  seventh  Bruce  succeeded,  and  so 
will  my  pursuers.  My  vigilance  is  but 
the  desperation  of  all  my  powers.  Every 
nerve  hath  an  eye,  an  ear,  an  action.  Oh, 
that  I  could  quiet  them — that  I  could  still 
myself  to  rest !  My  aching  head,  my  burst- 
ing heart,  my  soul  that  pleads  for  power 
from  above  ! — all  in  struggle,  all  grap- 
pling for  the  feeble  force  I  have,  each  to 
wield  in  front  extreme  its  own  importance 
first.  'Tis  the  grasp  of  a  drowning  soul 
on  the  sea  of  life ;  breakers  and  foul 
winds  blind  me,  even  while  on  the  furious 
surge  I  catch  the  glimpse  of  a  far-off  shore. 
But  no  ;  I  gasp,  I  rouse  to  see,  to  feel,  to 
prove  each  separate  sense  by  another,  that 
I  am  past  all  danger,  landed  clear  from 
the  billows,  and  in  my  hand  the  rod  of 
liberty.  Then  why,  whence  this  shaking 
form,  to  gain  the  world,  and  quiver  still  ? 
But  dark  forebodings  come,  and  imps  of 
treachery  steal  from  every  corner ;  the 
clank  of  chains  hath  its  echo  in  every 
spear  of  grass.  Oh,  my  native  country  ! 
what  a  chattel  am  I !  A  fool  that  I  love 
thee  still !  " 

Thus  she  continued,  till  we  had  seated 
ourselves  in  the  shanty,  where  she  was 
interrupted  by  the  old  washerwoman,  who 
accused  her  that  she  had  said  she  had  no 
friend — that  every  one  was  an  enemy — -that 
on  no  account  was  her  concealment  to  be 
divulged.  To  all  of  this,  however,  the 
young  girl  gave  a  satisfactory  answer. 

It  was  now  quite  night,  and  we  had  no 
fear  whatever  of  being  discovered.  I 
asked  her  what  her  name  was,  and  she 
said  Lizzie  ;  she  knew  no  other.  I  asked 
her  if  the  washerwoman  knew  of  the  re- 
ward offered  for  her  capture.  She  an- 
swered, No.  "  I  took  care  to  conceal 
that,"  said  Lizzie.  "  I  told  the  old  wom- 
an that  all  the  trouble  was  about  a 
forced  marriage.  She  does  not  mistrust 
I  am  a  slave.  She  says  she  knows  I  am 
some  great  lady." 


76 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


Now  it  happened  that,  while  we  con- 
versed thus,  the  old  woman  packed  up 
some  clothes  and  got  ready  to  carry  them 
home.  I  feared  Lizzie  would  dislike  to 
have  me  stay  with  her  alone,  and  I  sig- 
nified the  same  to  her. 

"  Oh,  sir,  you  much  mistake  me,"  she 
said.  "  Had  I  no  more  confidence,  you 
had  never  found  me  here.  I  feel  that  a 
Higher  Power  guards  over  me.  This  is 
my  last  attempt  to  fly  from  slavery — to 
fly  from  a  new-fouud  master,  whose  de- 
signs I  can  never  forget,  for  the  deep 
horror  of  his  boasted  might.  Welcome 
all  hazard  !  I  am  resolved.  These  poor, 
frail  parts,  these  hands  and  limbs,  given 
me  as  instruments  of  adornment  and  pro- 
tection to  the  spirit  within,  shall  first  ex- 
haust themselves  to  carry  me  sale  to  a 
foreign  shore ;  but  when  they  fail,  and 
all  the  avenues  on  earth  are  closed  to  me, 
I  will,  to  keep  the  soul  unsj^otted,  o})en  a 
vent  and  wing  myself  to  the  imperial 
throne  above  ! " 

She  half  choked  at  her  own  words, 
drawing  a  bowie  knife,  and  then  smiling 
in  anticipated  triumph. 

"  And  this  is  my  vow,  when  man  no 
more  protects  me ;  Lucretia  will  end  her- 
self before  Sextus  comes.  Think  not,  sir, 
I  speak  of  you,  but  of  the  home  I  dread." 

Now,  while  she  showed  this  desperate 
resolution,  I  involuntarily  recollected  that 
her  nature  was  at  variance  with  a  large 
portion  of  the  American  women,  who, 
when  failing  to  win  their  point  with  man, 
kill  him,  and  that's  the  end — so  unlike 
Lucretia's  death,  that  aroused  the  city  of 
Rome  and  overswept  the  kings.  And  so, 
too,  this  poor  fugitive  had  hit  the  vein 
that  most  moves  man  in  her  behalf. 

As  soon  as  the  washerwoman  left,  I 
bade  her  relate  to  me  all  her  trials  and 
hardships,  and  to  depict  more  plainly  the 
dangers  that  awaited  her. 

"  Oh,  howr  can  I  tell  you — how  collect 
myself  when  thus  excited  ?  And  you 
know,  too,  I  have  a  half-sister,  who  has 
not  yet  arrived.  I  fear  she  has  been  cap- 
tured, and  carried  back  to  slavery.  Ever 
comes  before  me  the  vision  of  her  gentle 
wrists  and  ankles  encased  in  iron ;  and  I 
fancy  I  hear  her  suppressed  sobs  pleading 
in  my  ear— to  help  her.  She  is  so  fair,  so  l 
gentle—  only  fifteen.  Such  a  form  as  storms 
the  noblest  heart,  as  tempts  the  ruffian. 
Aud  she  unprotected  !  Oh,  how  can  I  tell  I 
you  my  long  misfortunes,  while  my  sister 
is  away  ?  Sit  near  me,  sir,  for  now  it  is  ' 
growing  dark,  and  I  need  something  tan- 
gible to  remind  me  I  am  safe  the  while." 
She  smiled  a  little,  and  looked  up  with 
much  modesty,  adding,  "  You  know  you  ! 


are  in  Heaven's  sight  my  protector,  while 
I,  like  a  drowning  child,  catch  at  the  shore 
in  the  name  of  ail  that's  holy." 

Now,  when  she  had  laid  her  hand  over 
into  mine,  she  entered  upon  her  history, 
winch  I  have  here  in  brief  set  down,  to 
wit  : 

"  When  I  was  about  four  or  five  years 
old,  I  lived  with  a  planter  by  the  name 
of  Palmer,  in  the  State  of  Georgia.  Of 
the  still  earlier  part  of  my  life  I  knew 
nothing,  nor  do  I  know  now.  I  do  not 
know  who  was  my  father,  nor  who  was 
my  mother.  When  I  was  very  young,  an 
old  colored  woman  took  care  of  my  sister 
and  me.  We  called  her  Mammy,  but  I 
never  thought  her  my  mother.  Until  I 
was  nine  or  ten,  I  never  thought  about 
who  I  was  or  where  I  came  from.  I  was 
brought  up  under  the  belief  that  I  was  a 
negress.  I  and  my  sister  had  more  ljrivi- 
leges  than  any  other  of  his  slaves.  We 
slept  in  our  master's  house,  and  always 
ate  at  the  second  table.  But,  as  I  hinted 
before,  at  about  nine  years  of  age  I  began 
to  surmise  some  on  my  unknown  ancestry. 
I  could  not  account  for  my  lack  of  color, 
though  I  was  despised  by  the  genuine 
blacks,  partly  for  my  whiteness,  and 
partly  for  the  privileges  I  had.  I  mean 
also  my  sister;  for  we  were  treated  the 
same.  These  surmises  about  my  origin 
led  me  to  watch  the  conversation  of  older 
folks,  from  whom  I  learned  that  I  was  a 
favored  slave  because  I  had  a  nose  and 
hair  the  very  style  of  Palmer's.  My  curi- 
osity became  greater.  For  weeks,  for 
months,  ay,  for  years  I  stationed  myself 
in  byways,  in  chimney-corners,  garrets — 
anywhere,  everywhere — to  see,  to  hear, 
and,  in  the  language  of  my  master,  to 
know  whence  I  came  and  whither  I  was 
travelling.  But  I  gained  no  information. 
Only  once  I  heard  him  tell  our  mistress 
he  had  ordered  a  teacher  for  Lizzie  and 
Kate,  and  that  he  intended  they  should 
be  well  brought  up,  and  finally  sent  to 
France.  Of  course,  I  kept  this  a  secret, 
only  I  told  my  sister  Kate.  The  nature 
of  our  lives  gave  us  no  familiars.  We 
occupied  a  position  between  the  blacks 
and  our  master.  My  sister  and  I  often 
prayed,  when  we  laid  down  to  sleep,  that 
God  might  change  us  into  genuine  blacks 
by  morning.  We  wanted  some  one  to  love, 
to  be  familiar  with. 

"  When  I  was  eleven,  we  were  put  to 
our  lessons  under  the  promised  teacher. 
But  this  was  kept  a  secret,  on  account 
of  the  law  of  the  State  forbidding  slaves 
being  educated.  Soon,  then,  our  inter- 
course with  other  slaves  was  nearly  ex- 
tinguished.    Our    teacher  was    a  gentle- 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


77 


man,  a  small,  lean  man,  very  pious  and 
good.  He  it  was  who  taught  me  first 
the  road  to  happiness ;  taught  me  to 
subdue  my  passions,  and  to  trust  in  a 
Higher  Power.  Blessings  rest  upon  that 
man  !  He  showed  me  the  finger  of  God, 
which  has  ever  pointed  me  to  the  narrow 
path. 

"  At  about  twelve  I  was  instructed  by 
an  excellent  artist  from  Savannah,  in  cut- 
ting and  making  ladies'  wearing  apparel ; 
and,  according  to  my  instructor's  report, 
learned  quickly  all  the  intricacies  of 
changing  models. 

"  At  about  that  time  my  master  was 
elected  to  the  United  States  Senate.  He 
had  previously  held  several  high  posi- 
tions under  Government,  but  never  so 
high  as  senator.  One  term  he  served, 
bringing  Kate  and  me  with  him,  as  ser- 
vants to  our  mistress'  toilet ;  and  he  then 
resigned  on  account  of  ill  health.  At  his 
home  in  Georgia  he  had  much  company, 
and  I  am  forced  to  believe  that  his  com- 
pany ruined  him.  He  gambled.  Our 
mistress  died.  She  was  the  purest  and 
best  woman  I  ever  knew.  She  was  a  de- 
fenceless little  creature,  and  whenever  she 
addressed  us,  'twas  with  such  a  voice  and 
gentle  sentence  as  only  Heaven  inspires. 
This  was  the  beginning  of  our  darkness. 
Our  master  mortgaged  his  plantation,  and 
went  to  Savannah.  Here  he  lost  all  his 
money,  and  was  reduced  so  low  that  he 
moved  to  a  cheap  cottage  in  the  suburbs. 
He  had  no  servants  but  Kate  and  me,  and 
the  old  negro  woman  who  took  care  of 
us  when  we  were  children.  One  faithful 
negro  man  he  brought  with  him,  who  now 
agreed  to  hire  out  for  the  support  of  our 
master.  But  the  latter  got  intoxicated 
one  day,  and  sold  him.  That  money  was 
soon  gone.  We  had  nothing  more.  One 
day  he  came  to  me,  in  the  cottage,  and, 
taking  my  hand,  said,  '  Lizzie,  what  shall 
I  do — shall  I  sell  Mammy  ? '  I  answered 
him,  saying,  '  No,  master,  no ;  for  then 
would  soon  come  the  end.  'Tis  better 
that  we  work  for  you.  I  think  I  can 
turn  the  talents  and  the  culture  you  have 
bestowed  on  me  to  a  good  advantage. 
There  are  many  rich  ladies  here,  who,  when 
they  know  my  capacity  to  cut  their 
dresses  and  to  adorn  their  persons,  will 
soon  reward  me  handsomely  on  your  ac- 
count. Besides,  I  think  Mammy,  and 
Kate  and  I,  and  perhaps  yourself,  would 
die  if  we  were  separated.  You  cannot  be 
ignorant  of  the  fact,  that  you  are  in  very 
feeble  health  ;  that  you  are,  in  fact,  likely 
to  be  called  at  any  moment.' 

"  He  burst  into  tears,  and  told  me  to 
leave  him  a  moment.     I  did  so.     In  half 


an  hour  I  returned.  He  was  kneeling 
down  by  the  sofa,  praying  and  weeping. 
In  one  hand  was  a  miniature  of  his  loved 
wife ;  in  the  other  was  this  trifling  jewel 
— see,  sir  ! — a  thing,  I  had  heard  him  say, 
that  had  been  presented  to  him  many 
years  ago  in  some  foreign  country.  He 
ceased  grieving  only  by  falling  on  the 
floor  exhausted.  I  ran  to  him,  but  he 
was  insensible.  I  took  the  jewel  and 
miniature,  lest  some  accident  befall  them, 
and  then  hastily  summoned  Mammy  and 
Kate  to  help  him.  After  some  difficulty 
we  got  him  aroused  and  assisted  to  a  bed, 
when  we  summoned  a  doctor.  For  many 
days  now  we  were  in  great  trouble.  We 
had  not  money  to  buy  medicine  with. 
Mammy  ironed  to  earn  a  little.  Our 
master  was  very  low,  speechless.  I  then 
went  out  to  get  work.  Fortune  smiled 
on  me.  I  knew  not  what  to  charge  for 
my  work,  and  the  ladies  I  worked  for 
were  so  ignorant,  and,  being  rich,  valued 
me  according  to  my  prices.  Consequently 
I  deemed  it  just — for  I  was  vain  of  my 
capacity — to  charge  at  least  ten  times  as 
much  as  would  any  other  person.  This 
soon  became  notorious,  which  helped  me 
still  more.  I  ceased  doing  anything  my- 
self, only  visiting  wealthy  and  fashionable 
belles.  On  my  arrival  they  would  send 
for  their  regular  dressmaker,  who  had  to 
cut  and  trim  according  to  my  direction. 
Often  I  got  fifty  dollars  for  a  single  visit. 
My  accomplishments  and  ease  of  speech 
elicited  much  curiosity,  for  I  always 
represented  myself  as  a  slave,  stating 
who  my  master  was,  and  what  misfortune 
had  befallen  him.  Sometimes  the  money 
was  given  to  me,  sometimes  sent  to  my 
master.  One  day  I  was  sent  for  to  visit 
a  fashionable  actress ;  but  as  I  knew 
nothing  about  that  style  of  costume,  I 
declined  going.  The  next  day  she  called 
on  me.  I  declined  again.  I  did  not  like 
her.  She  was  called  beautiful.  She  re- 
peated her  call,  but  I  still  declined,  hop- 
ing within  my  heart  I  should  never  see 
her  more.  She  had  not  harmed  or  in 
any  way  treated  me  rudely,  but  I  felt 
that  she  carried  an  awful  fate  before  her. 
Oh,  that  I  had  never  tried  to  banish  these 
intuitive  impressions !  Forgive  me,  sir, 
I  weep  when  I  remember.  Well,  our 
little  caste  in  life  rapidly  improved,  but 
my  master  long  lay  in  feeble  health.  One 
whole  year  he  lay  there,  my  little  sister 
Kate  ever  by  his  side,  Mammy  ever  pre- 
paring him  some  of  her  thousand  fancy 
feats  for  his  nearly-exhausted  palate,  and 
I,  I  am  happy  to  say,  toiling  to  the  full 
support  of  all.  Nay,  more,  in  one  year  I 
saved  six  hundred  dollars.      My  master 


78 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


would  not  touch  this  money.  Though, 
when  it  had  been  sent  to  him  for  my 
services,  he  would  hold  it  in  his.  hand  till 
1  came  to  his  bedside,  and  then  give  it 
me,  ever  saying,  '  God  bless  you ;  save 
this,  Lizzie ;  I  will  some  day  make  you 
happy  ! ' 

"  How  long  this  course  of  things  would 
have  run  I  know  not,  only  that  Fate 
changed  the  scene.  In  my  visits  one 
day  to  the  house  of  a  wealthy  and  honor- 
able citizen,  when  I  withdrew  something 
from  my  pocket,  this  jewel  fell  on  the  floor. 
The  gentleman  of  the  house  picked  it  up, 
saying,  '  What's  this,  young  woman  ? '  I 
told  him  it  was  my  masters;  that  it  was 
something  he  valued  very  highly,  and  that 
always,  on  leaving  home,  I  carried  it  in 
order  that  it  might  not  be  stolen  or  lost. 
lie  eyed  me  with  some  suspicion,  and  then 
asked  where  my  master  lived.  I  told  him. 
He  then  put  it  in  his  pocket,  and  went  off 
to  see  my  master.  I  was  nearly  frantic, 
for  I  feared  I  would  be  accused  of  theft, 
when  Heaven  knew  with  what  a  loved 
and  honorable  purpose  I  had  done  it. 
When  I  came  home  my  master  called  me 
to  his  side,  haying  ordered  all  others  out. 
He  was  then  propped  up  in  bed.  After 
asking  how  I  came  by  it,  and  why  I  car- 
ried it,  and,  having  heard  me  all  through, 
he  said  I  had  clone  well.  '  Some  day  that 
jewel  shall  be  yours,'  he  said,  with  some 
emotion.  '  You  shall  discover  something 
which  shall  make  you  and  your  half-sister 
happy  through  life.  Should  ever  any  mis- 
fortune overtake  me,  keep  you  this  jew7el. 
How  I  came  by  it  I  cannot  tell  you  at 
present.  But  it  was  first  presented  to 
your  father.  Whenever  harm  comes  near 
you,  tell  men  that  such  was  your  father's 
jewel,  and  no  man  will  harm  you.' 

"  I  was  certainly  pleased  at  this,  but 
feared  that,  if  indeed  my  master  believed 
in  such  a  charm,  he  had  lost  some  of  his 
reason.  Though  I  was  more  anxious  to 
learn  something  about  my  own  father, 
and  yet  I  dared  not  be  so  impertinent  as 
to  ask  him  more.  He  bid  me  take  the 
jewel  and  keep  it  till  he  called  for  it, 
and  then  told  me  that  I  should  order  a 
feast  of  simple  things  that  night ;  that  his 
friends  had  discovered  his  wdiereabouts, 
and  would  visit  him  at  nine  o'clock. 

"  True  enough,  many  men  called  on 
him,  but  they  wTere  strangers  to  me. 
From  that  time  on  my  master  regained 
rapidly  in  health.  Society  cheered  him 
up,  but  he  was  a  changed  man.  He  drank 
no  more,  nor  did  he  ever  gamble  after 
that. 

"  One  bright  spring  morning  he  called 
me  to  him,  for  he  had  entirely  recovered 


now,  and  frequently  took  a  walk  or  a 
drive,  saying,  '  Lizzie,  you  must  go  out 
no  more  to  work.  You  have  been  a  good 
girl,  now  rest  yourself  by  preparing  for  a 
journey  to  the  interior.'  He  told  me 
nothing  of  his  plans,  nor  of  his  business. 
I  had  seven  hundred  dollars  in  gold, 
which  I  often  offered  him,  but  he  invari- 
ably answered,  '  God  bless  you,  Lizzie,  I 
have  plenty  of  money;  keep  yom  own.' 
I  knew  then  that  the  gentleman  who  dis- 
covered his  whereabouts  by  haying  Been  this 
jewel,  must  have  provided  him  \\  it  li  money. 
One  day,  when  I  was  absent,  getting 
things  for  our  journey,  the  actress  called 
again  for  my  services.  My  master  bid 
her  wait  till  I  returned.  Oh,  woful  day  ! 
Dread  Fate,  why  did  I  stay  so  long  ? 
He,  whom  I  should  have  guarded,  was 
in  the  snares  of  the  evil  one.  Yet  I  tar- 
ried, so  heedless  of  the  woful  future. 
Excuse  me,  sir,  my  tears  are  the  fruit  of 
untimely  joys.  But  I  must  tell  all.  My 
master  smiled  on  this  woman.  All  men 
have  a  failing  part,  but  some  are  never 
touched  upon  it,  and  so,  pass  apple uded 
for  their  virtue.  The  pure  never  throw  a 
stone,  and  the  untried  are  great  boasters 
and  full  of  vain  glory.  My  master  was 
good  and  great,  but  even  these  can  be 
overcome.  We  excuse  those  that  steal  to 
appease  a  starving  stomach.  But  who, 
with  a  heart  of  love  and  tenderness,  can 
feel  the  desolation  of  a  noble  man  whose 
house  is  stripped  of  conjugal  joys,  and 
not  pity  him  for  catching  at  something 
whereon  to  cling  in  good  companionship  ? 
I  adjusted  the  style  the  actress  desired, 
and  she  paid  me  handsomely. 

"  Soon  after  this  my  master  informed 
me  that  he  had  redeemed  the  mortgages 
on  his  plantation,  and  that  we  must  re- 
turn. Oh,  how  happy  I  was  to  get  away 
from  Savannah  ! — To  get  away  from  that 
actress !  But  I  was  happy  in  ignorance. 
The  anticipated  horrors  came.  We  had 
hardly  got  settled  on  the  old  planta- 
tion, when  my  master  returned  to  Savan- 
nah, married  the  actress,  and  brought  her 
out  to  the  plantation.  This  was  the  re- 
newing of  wdnter  to  my  own  life.  Though 
I  was  but  a  slave,  the  new  wife  was  jealous 
of  me.  But  she  concealed  it  well,  for  she 
was  a  woman  of  great  comprehension.  I 
never  asked  what  countrywoman  she  was, 
but  thought  she  was  Spanish.  She  was 
very  dark,  with  dark  eyes,  and  she  spoke 
with  so  much  deliberation  on  all  occasions, 
though  ever  saying  little,  I  was  positive 
from  the  first  that  she  would  in  some  way 
prove  treacherous.  But  it  came  sooner 
than  I  expected.  She  ordered  a  magnifi- 
cent ball.     All  the  choicest  liquors  were 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


79 


provided.  Guests,  the  first  in  the  State, 
were  present.  That  night  my  master 
drank.     Next  day  he  took  sick  and  died." 

For  a  moment  my  fail  companion  could 
say  no  more.  I  read  at  once  her  surmise, 
that  her  master  had  been  murdered.  But 
she  soon  went  on. 

"  The  widow  became  the  owner  of  us 
all.  We  were  all  advertised  for  sale.  My 
beauty  and  accomplishments  were  asserted 
in  the  advertisements  in  all  the  Savannah, 
Atlanta,  and  Charleston  papers.  Can  any 
one  conceive  the  meaning  ?  Can  any  one 
know  the  horrors  within  my  soul  ?  'Tis 
now  nearly  three  years  since,  and  yet  no 
minute  has  passed  to  give  me  joy.  I  was 
sold,  with  my  sister,  to  a  neighboring 
planter,  where  I  was  kept  as  lady's  ser- 
vant. My  sister  had  nothing  to  do.  But 
he  announced  that  he  would  sell  all  his 
slaves  at  the  end  of  the  following  year, 
and  this  kept  me  in  continual  dread. 
Many  men  called  to  see  me,  and  often 
tried*  various  means  to  purchase  me.  I 
became  frightened,  and  ere  the  year  roll- 
ed round  I  ran  away.  When  seventy  miles 
from  home  I  was  seen  by  an  acquaintance, 
and  arrested  and  carried  back.  I  had  four 
hundred  dollars  then,  having  given  my 
sister  the  balance,  with  instructions  to  fol- 
low me  soon  after.  They  took  my  money, 
and  never  returned  it.  On  the  next  day  I 
was  home  again,  where  I  received  a  severe 
reprimand,  with  the  threat  that  I  should 
now  be  sold  without  consulting  my  wishes 
in  regard  to  a  buyer.  Again  I  repeated 
the  attempt,  and  was  again  excused  with 
a  reprimand.  He  then  changed  his  pur- 
pose, to  not  sell  for  still  another  year. 
Before  this  appointed  time  arrived  I  had 
been  selected  and  bargained  for  by  a  gen- 
tleman from  Charleston.  The  sight  of  him 
was  almost  death  to  me.  His  eye  had  not 
the  mark  of  avarice,  and  yet  it  made  me 
pray  for  death.  It  had  more  terror  to  me. 
Under  the  guise  of  something  else  I  was 
bound  by  a  chain  to  my  sister,  and  taken 
into  Virginia.  We  loved  to  go  North ; 
slaves  always  fear  going  further  South. 
We  were  then  put  into  the  fields  to  hoe 
tobacco.     In  a  few  days  after,  when  we 


were  at  work,  my  Charleston  purchaser 
came  up  to  us.  He  was  on  horseback.  I 
shuddered  at  his  approach,  and  at  the 
words  he  uttered. 

"  '  Which  do  you  choose  ? '  said  he, 
after  he  had  smiled  and  bid  us  cease  our 
work,  '  you  are  no  longer  ignorant  of  my 
will  nor  my  power.  Obedience  will  give 
you  ease  and  enjoyment ;  its  opposite  will 
entail  upon  you  toil  and  sorrow.' 

"  '  By  sending  me  here,'  I  said,  '  you 
have  given  me  my  choice.  I  pray  you,  sir, 
leave  me  to  toil  here  all  the  days  of  my 
life,  and  I  am  content.' 

"  He  then  made  an  oath  that  he  would 
tame  me  or  be  my  death;  and,  bidding 
my  sister  and  the  other  slaves  to  leave, 
he  then  attempted  to  dismount  from  his 
horse,  but  his  foot  tangled  in  the  stirrup, 
and  the  horse  ran  off,  dragging  him  some 
distance,  and  leaving  him  helpless  on  the 
ground.  We  took  advantage,  and  Kate 
and  I  ran  away.  Several  times  I  have 
been  captured  and  carried  back  ;  but,  ere 
he  recovered  from  his  bruises,  we  ever 
escaped.  For  the  last  year  we  have  been 
running  and  hiding.  A  few  months  ago 
we  were,  near  Columbus,  Ohio,  captured 
and  carried  back.  My  master  had  entirely 
recovered,  and  then  paid  the  captors  three 
hundred  dollars.  We  were  so  overcome 
that  we  were  both  taken  ill.  We  pretend- 
ed to  be  worse  than  we  were,  in  order  to 
prevent  violence.  A  few  weeks  since  we 
fled  again.  At  night  we  wTere  pursued  ; 
but  we  had  matured  our  course,  and  the 
place  of  our  meeting  in  this  city.  All 
the  advertisements  in  the  papers  stated 
that  Kate  and  I  were  so  attached  to  each 
other  we  would  most  likely  be  found  to- 
gether. For  that  we  separated.  And  now, 
alas,  I  fear  we  meet  on  earth  no  more ! 
She  has  no  money,  and  I  know  not  how 
she  can  live.  Oh,  that  she  were  here  ! 
Send  her  to  me,  O  Heaven,  or  I  must  die  ! " 
She  burst  into  a  new  flood  of  tears,  ending 
thus  her  story  of  life  in  a  land  of  liberty. 

In  two  hours  after  I  had  her  in  boys' 
clothes,  with  a  short  black  head  of  hair, 
registered  at  the  Jackson  House  as  Joe 
Travers,  of  New  York. 


80 


THE  FALL  OF  FOET  SUMTER  ;  OE, 


CHAPTER    XI. 


"  Now  Cupid  strode  up  in  his  bright  array, 
Even  to  the  side  of  tne  great  ancient  Mars, 
And  smiled,  and  tipped  his  toe  for  a  footrace, 
Holding  his  arrow  right  to  th'  other's  nose, 
And  hearts  abundant  casting  in  the  path, 
While  Mars,  in  grim  and  frowning  majesty, 
Whetting  his  rusted  sword  with  thoughts  of  blood, 
Kicked  at  poor  Cupid,  falling  by  the  way 
On  Cupid'8  battlements—  the  hearts  of  course, 
And  Cupid  shot  him  through.     And  so,  love  rules." 


The  night  passed  most  unpleasantly  to 
me,  for  the  tale  that  Lizzie  told  brought 
vivid  pictures  of  horrors  to  my  vision. 
The  threat  of  war,  too,  brought  clouds 
and  darkness  and  blood  and  death.  The 
threats  of  Floyd  and  Davis  sent  the  frenzied 
blood  to  my  every  nerve :  the  imbecility 
of  Buchanan  enraged  me.  But  these  fevers 
passed. 

And  pleasantly  soon  Fancy  pictured 
peace  and  harmony  and  love.  For, 
even  on  the  verge  of  mighty  war  kind 
nature  comes  with  gentle  consolations ; 
for  man's  power,  exhausted  by  conjuring 
evil,  is  lulled  to  sleep  with  visions  more 
than  mortal.  Yet,  when  he  wakes,  how 
all-forgetful  is  he  ! 

Thus  I  moralized  till  the  bright  morn- 
ing came,  and  then  sallied  forth.  No 
more  the  thought  of  war ;  no  more  con- 
cerning secession.  Hardly  had  I  come 
down  to  the  office  of  the  Jackson  House, 
when  a  rough,  burly-looking  customer  met 
me,  with  a  paper  in  his  hand.  Pointing 
to  it,  he  said, 

"  I  say,  sir,  do  you  live  here  ?  " 

I  told  him  I  did. 

"  Then,"  said  he,  "  read  this.  Eve  lost 
some  niggers." 

I  took  the  paper  which  read  as  follows  : 

A  runaway  slave  known  as  Lizzie,  formerly  owned 
by  the  late  ITon.  John  Palmer  of  Georgia.  Five 
hundred  dollars  reward  offered  for  her.  Also  three 
hundred  dollars  offered  for  the  girl  Kate,  a  young  sister 
of  Lizzie.  They  are  both  nearly  white,  with  light  hair, 
blue,  eyes,  well  dressed.  Kate  is  fifteen,  and  Lizzie  eigh- 
teen or  nineteen.  Both  are  good-looking  girls,  and 
might  readily  pass  for  white.  They  have  been  traced 
to  this  citv,  and  are  supposed  to  be  here  at  present. 
Apply  to  Wm.  H.  Kussel,  office,  Jay  Street,  Washing- 
ton. 

Scarcely  had  I  scanned  the  advertise- 
ment, when,  tripping  down  the  stairs 
came  the  identical  Lizzie,  now  and  here- 
after known  as  Joe  Travers — a  modest, 
beardless  boy.  The  fevered  excitement 
was   at   its  flood  on  my   nerves.     What 


could  be  done  ?  In  she  came  square 
before  us  ere  she  saw  the  hated  face  of 
him  whom,  more  than  all  things  on  earth, 
she  dreaded. 

She  the  slave  to  such  a  man  ! 

She  started,  almost  frozen  at  the  glance, 
and  then  walked  away.  He,  ashamed  of 
his  profession,  seeing  the  boy,  as  he  sup- 
posed, approach  me,  took  the  paper 
from  my  hand,  and  it  fell  on  the  floor. 
So,  when  the  slave  started,  he  was  the 
while  scrambling  after  the  fallen  paper,  and 
thus  most  providentially  failed  to  fully  see 
her.  Yet  so  much  had  he  seen,  that,  when 
we  were  again  alone,  he  said,  "  Had  my  nig- 
gers brothers,  I'd  swear  that  boy  was  one 
— the  very  dimples  in  his  cheeks  and  chin, 
and  the  sprightly  step — I  swear,  I  would 
that  he  too  were  my  slave." 

"  That  boy  !  "  said  I.  "  His  father  had 
better  hear  you  talk  that  way." 

"  Oh,  not  "for  the  world  !  "  said  he.  "  I 
was  only  joking  !  And  then  he  asked  me 
to  go  and  drink  with  him,  promising  me 
that  he  would  give  me  such  a  description 
of  his  fugitives  as  would  enable  me  to 
capture  them,  and  obtain  the  reward ; 
stating  also  that  he  had  been  told  that  I 
knew  more  about  the  city  of  Washington 
than  did  any  other  man,  and  would  be 
likely,  in  consequence,  to  aid  him  in  an 
effectual  manner.  "  I  will  tell  you,  stran- 
ger,' said  I,  and  I  wondered  the  while 
to  see  so  coarse  a  man  all  hung  with 
jewelry.  An  immense  gold  chain  of  choice 
workmanship  dangled  weightily  on  a 
rich  silk  vest,  the  "breast  of  which,  being 
open,  showed  a  splendid  cluster  of  large 
and  small  diamonds,  so  set  as  to  resemble 
the  ice-tipped  branches  of  the  wild  orange 
tree.  Golden  leaves  tried  to  hide  the 
brilliancy,  but  anon,  as  the  wearer  moved, 
waved  aside  to  show  some  secret  gem. 
On  his  fingers  were  rings.  One  was  of 
native  gold,   and  rudely  made ;    others, 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


81 


set  with  choice  stones,  seemed  so  rare- 
ly carved  and  chased  as  it  had  been 
a  jeweller's  lifetime  to  contrive  them. 
Strangely,  too,  this  man's  boots,  unpol- 
ished, outside  the  trousers,  were  poor 
and  common.  On  his  head  was  a  soft 
wool  hat,  large  in  the  brim,  and  seem- 
ing to  rest  on  his  heavy,  dark  side  whis- 
kers, while  the  points  of  a  coarsely  twisted 
moustache,  like  horns,  stood  far  out,  dis- 
playing a  lofty  Roman  nose  piled  high  up 
between  two  as  sensual  eyes  as  ever  were 
in  the  face  of  man.  A  little  walking-stick 
with  a  gold  handle  he  twirled  in  one 
hand,  between  the  fingers  of  which  was  a 
half-smoked  and  badly  chewed  cigar,  and 
the  advertisement  1  mentioned  was  in  the 
other.  "  I  will  tell  you,  stranger,"  said  I, 
"  if  you  will  excuse  me  for  calling  you 
such, " 

"  My  name  is  John  Russel,  sir,  descended 
from  the  ancient  family  of  that  name  in 
England." 

"  Ah  !  then,  Mr.  Russel.  In  these  days 
it  is  useless  to  seek  for  a  run-away  slave. 
They  get  to  Canada  by  steam,  and  I  hope 
yours  may  soon  be  there  too." 

"  What,"  said  he,  "  you  too  talk  so  ? " 
I  made  no  answer  and  we  parted,  he  to  seek 
his  slaves,  and  I  toward  the  girls  in  the  par- 
lor. I  saw  him  go  to  the  door.  He 
seemed  still  to  look  after  Joe  Travers.  I 
feared  he  did.  I  looked  for  Joe.  Not 
to  be  seen.  I  then  went  fnto  the  parlor. 
Vickey  came  to  me  and  asked  me  for  a 
good  dentist.  I  told  her  where  to  go.  Asked 
her  if  she  had  tooth-ache  ?  "  Oh,  no,"  she 
said,  laughing.  She  then  excused  herself, 
and  went  out.  I  was  about  to  leave,  when 
in  came  Mrs.  Edge  and  the  clerk,  who 
seemed  very  polite  to  her.  He  winked  at 
me  to  keep  still ;  so  I  sat  down,  unob- 
served, by  Mrs.  Edge.  "  I  know  it  will 
make  a  great  difference  with  her,"  said 
Mrs.  Edge  to  the  clerk ;  "  her  face  is  so 
sunken  in,  and  then  she  can't  half  eat.  I've 
been  telling  her  so  for  a  long  time,  but  she's 
so  close  with  her  money.  Now,  she's  not 
like  me  in  that  at  all ;  I  go  in  for  any  ex- 
pense according  to  one's  station,  you  know, 
and  I  tell  her  she's  getting  so  old  it  need  not 
make  much  difference  now  no  more  with 
her  as  long  as  she's  got  to  live." 

"  Why,  certainly,"  said  the  clerk ;  "  you 
have  just  my  views  exactly,  and  so  has 
Vickey." 

"  And  I  wish  Mr.  Edge  was  the  same," 
said  she  ;  "  he's  gone  after  railroad  con- 
tracts ever  since  we  came.  His  soul  is  all 
in  a  railroad — poor,  dear  man  ! — Always 
into  his  papers  ;  he  hears  nothing  you  say 
to  him  no  more,  unless  it  is  about  rail- 
roads.    Only  the  other  day  I  called  his 


attention  to  our  accomplished  daughter  as 
she  passed  so  lovingly  before  us.  '  See,' 
said  I,  '  what  a  beautiful  train  she  has  ; ' 
and  he  started,  and  said,  '  What  road's 
that  on  ? '  for  he  thought  I  was  talking 
about  a  train  of  cars.  Poor,  dear  soul,  he 
started  up,  and  says  he,  '  What  road's  that 
on  ? '  and  I  thought  I'd  a-died  a-laughing  ; 
and  then  he  got  up  and  went  out,  for  he 
said  it  was  nonsense  to  call  Vickey's  coat 
tails  a  train.  '  What  road's  that  on  ? '  he 
said  so  funny." 

The  clerk  laughed  a  little  then,  and  he 
turned  to  her,  saying,  "  Excuse  me,  Mrs. 
Edge,  but  I  am  in  a  hurry,  and  I  will  be 
pleased  to  hear  what  you  have  called  me 
here  for  ? " 

"  Oh,"  said  she,  "  yes,  yes.  Well,  what 
I  was  going  to  say  is  this,  for  you  see  I 
am  a  plain-spoken,  honest  woman,  and  I 
always  speak  my  mind,  and  I  always  think 
it  is  best  for  folks  to  understand  each 
other  as  they  go  along,  and  then  they  will 
always  remain  good  friends.  I'm  laugh- 
ing at  what  Mr.  Edge  said ;  says  he, 
'  What  road's  that  on  ? '  But,  as  I  was 
about  to  say,  you  know  we  don't  make 
much  pretensions  ourselves — that's  Mr. 
Edge  and  me — but  we  have  spared  no 
expense  on  our  daugther.  She  has  a 
fiuished  education.  She  went  to  Phila- 
delphia. Every  one  who  sees  her 
knows  she's  prepared  for  the  best  of 
society  and  people  of  the  highest  rank. 
Only  the  other  evening  I  noticed,  when  a 
promiscuous  crowd  was  in  the  parlor,  and 
one  of  the  ladies  there  said  something  or 
other  not  just  according  to  genteel  society, 
and  Vickey  spoke  right  out  and  said, '  We 
are  taught  differently  in  the  high  society 
in  Philadelphia,'  and  that  made  them  all 
stare  pretty  straight,  I  tell  you.  Indeed 
she's  smart,  if  she  is  my  own  daughter, 
and  I  say  it  myself,  and  she  knows  what's 
proper  for  a  real  lady." 

"  No  question  of  that,"  said  the  clerk  ; 
'  she  is  the  belle  at  this  house  at  least. 
Every  one  speaks  of  her  in  the  highest 
praise." 

"  Just  so  I  say,  if  I  am  her  mother ; 
and  what  I  was  coming  at  is  this — that  is 
to  say,  I  have  not  decided  yet  who  Vickey 
shall  marry.  But  I  understand  that  you 
have  been  instrumental  in  encouraging  an 
attachment  between  her  and  Prescott,  and 
that's  what  I  was  going  to  speak  of,  for  I 
could  not  entertain  such  a  marriage  at  all. 
Who  is  this  Prescott?  He's  nobody — a 
penny-a-liner  !  How  could  he  provide  for 
such  a  lady  ?  " 

"  Oh,  indeed,  Mrs.  Edge,  you  much  mis- 
take me,  I  have  not  been  instrumental, 
only  so  far  as  to  speak  of  the  virtues  of 


82 


THE  FALL  OF  FOPvT  SUMTER  ;    OR, 


each.  Prescott  is  an  excellent  man.  He 
is  not  rich  to  be  sure,  but  you  have  your- 
self told  me  that  you  and  Vickey  did,  in 
former  years,  work  not  only  at  soap-boil- 
ing, and  candle-making,  but  in  the  fields 
hoeing  corn." 

"  But  we  have  proved  ourselves ;  we  are 
now  universally  acknowledged  to  be  the 
very  head  of  society.  Judge  Francis  Un- 
derbill, of  Loudon  Heights,  told  me  with 
his  own  mouth  he  considered  Vickey  the 
most  perfect  lady  he  ever  saw.  He  is  too 
old  to  flatter ;  he  speaks  wisely.  Now, 
then,  shall  we  turn  backward  from  our 
attainments  to  help  up  this  fellow  by  the 
way  ?  No,  no  ;  far  from  it.  Excelsior,  as 
Vickey  says,  is  our  motto.  Then,  too,  you 
must  know  that  Vickey  has  many  suitors. 
There  is  Wadsworth,  so  rich  and  hand- 
some. To  be  sure,  he  is  an  owner  of 
slaves,  but  my  niind  has  changed  on  that 
score  since  we  came  to  Washington. 
There's  nothing  like  the  lowly  being  con- 
tented with  their  lot.  There  must  be  dis- 
tinctions in  society ;  persons  of  rank 
always  will  hold  this,  and  I  don't  know 
as  we  could  make  a  better  choice  than  in 
this  young  man.  But  there  are  others. 
Only  this  day  a  finely-dressed  man  linger- 
ing at  the  street  corner,  seeing  her  rare, 
ladylike  appearance,  slipped  a  card  into 
her  hand,  and  desired  to  walk  with  her. 
I  tell  you,  and  I  make  due  allowance  for 
my  vanity  for  my  own  child,  but  she  can 
say  with  pride  who  she  will  or  will  not 
choose.  Now,  all  I  have  to  say  is,  that  I 
do  hope  you  will  discourage  this  young 
Prescott  off.  Indeed,  I  know  you  will,  for 
you  know  he's  no  match  for  our  Vickey." 

"  Certainly  so,  Mrs.  Edge.  Why,  of 
course  I  will,  rest  assured — indeed — Oh, 
yes ! " 

"You  know,"  she  interrupted,  "I'm  a 
little  afraid  she  takes  to  him  a  little,  only 
don't  say  nothing,  you  know  ;  you  under- 
stand ? " 

Again  and  again  the  clerk  gave  assur- 
ance that  her  wishes  should  be  carried 
out,  and  then  they  went  out  of  the  parlor, 
for  some  one  had  been  calling  the  clerk. 
I  was  about  to  follow,  but  the  clerk  re- 
turned alone. 

"  Oh,  I  have  such  a  joke  !  "  said  he,  and 
he  laughed  heartily.  "  Oh,  such  a  joke  ! 
Do  you  kuow,  these  fool  Edges  believe 
everybody  is  in  love  with  them.  Sure  as 
fate,  they  believe  the  Judge  is  going  to 
marry  the  old  maid,  and  she  is  gone  off 
with  Vickey  to  get  a  new  set  of  false  and 
big  plumpers."  Again  he  laughed.  "  You 
see,  they  observed  that  the  Judge  was  not 
very  attentive  to  the  old  maid,  and  sug- 
gested that  they  ought  to  fix  her  up  a 


little.  Mrs.  Edge  got  some  patent  breasts 
for  her  last  night,  and  now  Vickey  is  off 
to  the  dentist  to  get  her  mouth  filled  up 
with  teeth  and  plumpers,  and  the  poor  old 
thing  is  half  raced  to  death  with  battling 
the  huge  pads  and  hoops  and  whalebones. 
Oh,  I  decJare,  'tis  an  excellent  joke  !  " 

1  told  him  I  was  real  sorry  for  the  old 
maid,  and  also  for  Vickey,  who  were  both 
so  innocent  and  well  meaning. 

"  Nonsense  !  "  said  he,  "  I'll  get  Vickey 
to  marry  the  Judge,  you  shall  see.  I  vow 
I  shall  have  a  wedding  at  his  hotel,  some- 
how or  other." 

At  this  instant  came  a  violent  scream 
from  the  stairs  above.  We  ran  ;  I  thought 
of  Joe,  the  fugitive,  and  feared  she  had 
been  detected  and  captured.  I  felt  under 
obligation  not  to  suffer  her  to  be  wronged 
to  the  value  of  anything  by  another  if  in 
my  power  to  prevent ;  and  with  these 
vivid  fancies  flying  through  my  mind,  I 
rushed  to  the  spot.  Here  I  was  startled 
afresh,  to  see,  not  the  fugitive,  but  my  own 
gentle  Ann,  reclining  on  the  stairway,  pale 
and  helpless.  Below  her,  on  the  stairway 
of  the  lower  floor,  and  leading  into  the 
street,  was  a  rude  crowd,  pushing  and 
jamming  furiously  to  make  an  exit.  From 
the  noise  I  could  tell  nothing,  nor  no 
word  distinguish.  Only  gentle  Ann,  al- 
most frenzied,  cried  out,  "  Stop  them ! 
Oh,  for  God's  sake,  save  her  !  O  Heavens, 
is  all  my  labor  'lost !  "  In  a  moment  the 
crowd  was  gone,  save  the  lingering  ser- 
vants, who,  half-affrighted,  peered  from 
every  corner.  "  Dear,  gentle  Ann,  what 
is  the  matter  ? "  said  I,  and  I  raised  her 
up,  and  she  leaned  her  head  over  on  my 
breast  and  sobbed  aloud.  Again  and 
again  I  urged  her  to  tell  the  cause  of  all 
this ;  but  she  clung  fast  to  me,  and  seem- 
ed as  if  her  heart  would  break.  "  Oh, 
urge  me  no  more  !  "  at  last  she  stammered. 
"  The  things  whereof  I  weep  I  cannot, 
must  not  mention.  Take  me,  oh,  I  beg 
of  you,  take  me  to  my  room,  and  leave 
me  !  Oh,  how  can  I — how  can  I  ?  "  and 
I  never  saw  so  near  a  death  with  weep- 
ing. I  then  took  her  to  her  room,  even 
to  the  doorway,  where  she  turned  and 
warmly  pressed  my  hand,  saying,  "  How 
lonely,  lonely  now  !  I  scarce  can  enter. 
Leave  me,  my  heart  is  broken."  She  then 
went  in,  and  I  came  away,  not  being  able 
to  guess  the  cause  of  such  great  sorrow. 
When  I  encountered  the  servants,  I  in- 
quired the  cause  of  the  confusion  on  the 
stairs,  and  they  told  me  somebody  was 
taken  prisoner — a  woman,  a  young  wom- 
an, a  girl  of  about  fifteen  !  "  Can  it 
be,"  I  thought  to  myself,  "  that  such  was 
the  fate  of  Joe's  sister,  Kate  ?     Captured 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


83 


here  ? "  I  then  remembered  that  for  a 
week  past  my  gentle  Ann  had  seemed  so 
cast  down  and  sad,  and  I  thought  per- 
haps she  had  been  secreting  this  fugitive. 
I  made  some  cautious  inquiries  accord- 
ingly, but  gained  no  evidence  to  substan- 
tiate my  theory ;  but  I  resolved  to  linger 
about  the  hotel  till  I  could  get  an^inter- 
view  with  Ann,  and  then  ascertain,  if  pos- 
sible, the  whole  mystery.  I  then  repaired 
to  the  office  to  await  and  to  reflect  awhile, 
but  was  instantly  hailed  by  a  newsboy 
shouting  into  my  face,  "  Buy  a  paper,  sir  ? 
buy  a  paper,  sir  ?  Beauregard  in  Charles- 
ton building  batteries.  General  Scott 
burnt  in  effigy  all  over  the  South.  Davis 
or  Toombs  to  be  made  President  and  in- 
stalled in  Washington  before  Lincoln  gets 
here."  Of  course  I  bought  a  paper,  and 
I  read  it,  too.  The  boy's  statements  were 
true.  Active  treason  against  the  estab- 
lished government  was  on  foot.  The 
party  beaten  at  polls  had  resolved  to 
carry  their  point  by  the  sword,  to  place 
themselves  in  office.  Yet  I  called  it 
vanity  ;  called  it  boasting ;  for  I,  nor  any 
other  man,  could  be  convinced  that  so 
great  a  folly  could  be  attempted  by  an 
intelligent  people.  Some  one  touched 
my  arm,  after  I  had  read  and  reread  the 
paper  for  a  good  while,  and,  looking 
round,  I  beheld  Professor  Jackson.  "  Lend 
me  the  paper  ?  "  said  he  ;  and  I  answered, 
u  Certainly,  sir,  I  am  done  with  it."  He 
looked  rather  cast  down,  and  his  clothes 
were  certainly  the  worse  of  the  wear. 
When  he  had  taken  the  paper,  he  pulled 
out  one  from  the  ragged  pocket  of  his 
coat,  and  said,  "  I  can  exchange  with  you. 
I  am  one  of  the  editors  and  publishers  of 
the  Journal  of  Progress,  devoted  chiefly 
to  literature."  I  thought,  when  he  said 
devoted  to  literature,  he  meant  it  as  a 
pun  on  the  thousands  of  illiterate  pamph- 
lets and  magazines  that  claim  the  same 
heading  at  the  top  of  their  title  page,  and 
are  published  in  all  the  cities  and  towns 
all  over  the  country,  and  so  I  said,  "  In- 
deed !  Literature  is  cheap  now-a-days, 
especially  in  the  name.  Had  Humboldt 
lived  here,  he  need  have  taken  less  trou- 
ble. After  he  had  spent  thirty  years  in 
study,  he  was  urged  to  prepare  some  liter- 
ary work,  but  he  replied,  that,  as  nearly 
as  he  could  computo  the  time,  he  had 
forty  years  more  to  study  before  he  could 
prepare  himself  to  write  on  a  literary  sub- 
ject, but  if  the  society  would  wait  until 
that  time,  he  would  be  happy  to  make 
an  effort  to  please  them.  I  wish  he  had 
lived  in  this  country." 

"  Ah,  sir,"  said  the  Professor,  "  it  was 
well  indeed  when  man  depended  on  mun- 


dane evidence,  to  ask  for  time  to  prepare 
a  literary  work  ;  but  now,  you  will,  I  am 
sure,  admit  that  knowledge  is  beginning 
to  be  intuitive.  Appreciation  and  con- 
fidence is  all  that  is  needed.  But,  sir,  a 
journal  like  this  of  ours  is  in  advance  of 
the  times.  People  go  in  for  trash, — novels, 
picture  papers,  caricatures.  That's  the 
trouble  !  "  and  he  looked  over  the  paper 
I  gave  him,  while  I  glanced  at  the  one  he 
gave  me,  but  I  read  it  not.  My  mind  had 
other  matter ;  I  cared  not  for  literature. 
Several  times  I  observed  the  Professor 
casting  glances  toward  me,  and  at  last  he 
ventured  to  ask  me  if  I  was  not  a  con- 
tributor myself  to  some  paper.  I  told 
him,  not  at  present.  He  then  asked  me 
if  I  would  not  like  to  take  a  share  in  the 
Journal  of  Progress  ?  I  said,  no.  He  next 
asked  if  I  would  not  like  to  buy  him  out  ? 
Again  I  said,  no.  But  he  persisted,  ask- 
ing if  I  would  not  lend  money  on  the  es- 
tablishment, taking  charge  of  the  income 
till  I  got  my  money  back,  with  a  hundred 
per  cent,  profit  ?  "  No,"  said  I,  "  I  cannot 
engage  in  business.  I  have  retired  from 
all  business,  save  what  pleases  my  fancy. 
If  you  want  to  borrow  money,  go  to 
your  banker."  "  We  have  none,"  said  he. 
"  Then  go  to  a  broker,"  said  I.  "  We 
have  been,"  said  he,  "  but  they  said  they 
would  not  lend  money  on  literary  estab- 
lishments. They  don't  go  in  for  literature. 
You  might  as  well  ask  a  monkey  to  ap- 
preciate our  Journal,  as  to  ask  a  broker." 
"  Have,  you  not  funds  enough  to  carry  it 
on  ?  "  I  asked  :  and  he  answered,  "  No  ; 
we're  out  entirely.  If  we  could  only  get 
started  rightly,  I  am  sure  it  would  be  a 
success.  I  have  put  all  I  had  in  it.  I  put 
in  a  hundred  and  sixteen  dollars.  And 
my  wife  has  put  in  rather  more  than  that. 
I  am  now  delivering  lectures  every  night, 
and  so  is  my  wife,  for  the  benefit  of  the 
Journal."  "  Well,"  said  I,  "  can't  you 
raise  funds  sufficient?"  "No,  sir,  there 
is  hardly  anybody  goes  to  literary  lec- 
tures. The  first  night  I  took  in  eleven 
dollars  above  expenses ;  but  the  last  two 
evenings  I  hardly  came  out  even,  and  we 
are  getting  in  considerable  of  a  strait. 
For  economy  sake  we  took  a  room  in  a 
shanty  and  went  to  housekeeping,  and, 
if  you  will  believe  me,  sir,  we  live  on 
bran  bread  and  water,  eating  only  one 
meal  a  clay."  "  You  are  certainly  very 
persevering,"  said  I,  "  but  if  you  have  not 
money  enough  to  carry  it  on,  I  think  the 
better  way  is  to  sell  out  the  whole  con- 
cern." "  We  have  tried  that,  too,"  said 
he,  "  but  every  one  says  just  as  you  did ; 
they  don't  want  to  buy.  They  think 
there  is  going  to  be  war  in  the  country, 


84 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


and  they  won't  invest ;  "whereas,  in  my 
opinion,  this  very  Journal,  rightly  man- 
aged, could  avert  the  -whole  danger  of  the 
country.  If  I  only  had  my  own  money 
back,  I  would  not  care." 

Just  then  Joe  Travers  came  in,  and 
I  excused  myself  to  the  Professor,  and 
followed  Joe  into  the  hall  beyond,  and 
there  told  her  how  best  she  could  avoid 
her  pursuer,  John  Russel ;  that  I  had  not 
the  slightest  doubt  but  he  would  know 
her  if  he  came  near  her,  and  fairly 
looked  on  her.  She  promised  in  every 
particular  to  follow-  my  advice,  but  cau- 
tiously urged  me  to  go  with  her  to  the 
Quarters,  which  is  the  place  where  slaves 
are  kept  preparatory  to  buying  or  hiring 
or  sending  off  when  changing  owners. 
That  she  feared  indeed  her  sister  Kate 
had  been  captured,  for  she  heard  of  some- 
thing to  that  effect  just  a  few  minutes 
since.  I  agreed  to  go  with  her.  I  am 
confident  no  one  heard  us  talking.  "We 
went  out  the  back  way.  In  the  garden 
was  the  Judge,  lounging  on  a  bench  be- 
neath the  trees.  He  Avas  sound  asleep. 
Beside  him  lay  a  piece  of  fool's-cap  on 
which  was  written  the  following  lines.  I 
took  the  paper  ;  did  not  consider  it  steal- 
ing ;  he  had  often  taken  my  manuscript 
notes  himself,  and  then  returned  them.  I 
intended  to  return  these.  The  words  he 
had  written  were  as  follows,  to  wit : 

"  I  go  for  the  girl  of  seventeen. 
Go  for  the  gentlest  age  of  a  gentle  queen, 

Ere  she's  fraught  with  evils  taught, 
Or  cunning  made  by  love's  parade, 
In  innocence  so  rare,  as  never  a  man  can  dare, 
O  so  sweet,  the  girl  of  seventeen, 
O  so  sweet,  so  sweet  my  youthful  queen. 

Though  I  flirt  with  all  that's  rare, 
Never  my  heart  was  captured  fair, 
But  by  the  girl  of  seventeen — 
Though  I  dally  with  the  cold  unseemly  things  of  state, 
Though  I've  power  to  unmake  and  make  the  great, 
— I  throw  them  all  away, 
And  never  do  I  prattle  nor  play, 
Never  do  love  but  the  girl  of  seventeen. 

I'm  called  the  ruse  and  ruin  of  the  past, 
With  never  a  heart  to  love  me  at  last, 
But  O,  a  secret,  all  killing  with  joy, 
Tells  me  though  old,  I'm  ever  the  boy, 
Ever  the  boy  for  the  girl  of  seventeen, 
O  for  the  gentlest  age  of  a  gentle  queen. 
Ere  she's  fraught  with  evils  taught, 
Or  cunning  made  by  love's  parade, 
In  innocence  so  rare,  as  never  a  man  can  dare, 
O  so  sweet  my  girl  of  seventeen, 
O  so  sweet,  so  sweet  my  youthful  queen. 

When  we  got  outside  the  gate,  we  halted 
till  I  read  it  over,  and  thereupon  Joe  re- 
marked, "  I  rather  like  that  old  man,  sad 
as  I  am,  for  it  is  so  humorous  in  him  to 
love  so  young  a  girl."  I  then  told  her 
about  the  Judge,  and  about  his  eccentrici- 
ties ;  his  egotism ;  his  good  nature,  and 
his  present  love  adventure.  We  were  then 
going  toward  the  Quarters,  and  I  took  a 


good  while  in  telling  the  Judge's  life  to 
her,  but  when  I  finished  ehe  heaved  a  sigh, 
saying,  "  Oh,  sir,  tell  me  more  !  My  every 
breath  of  life  holds  upon  a  thread  when 
you  speak  of  the  ties  of  the  human  heart. 
To  be  so  free,  to  love  and  never  fear  the 
bond  by  mortals  torn  asunder.  Oh,  please, 
>ir,  till  me  more!  Tell  me  of  this  Vickey. 
Oh,  what  joy  is  hers — to  feel  that  even  one 
so  old  has  proffered  to  the  craving  of  her 
warm  devotion  !  "  I  told  her  I  thought  it 
was  rather  ridiculous  for  so  old  a  man  to 
suffer  himself  to  fall  in  love  with  one  so 
young.  "  Oh,  indeed,  sir,  it  is  not.  Who- 
ever is  not  thirsty  can  wait  for  a  gourd, 
but  the  others  can  dip  with  a  leaf  and 
drink  to  Heaven's  praise.  Oh,  sir,  what 
pain  is  it  to  famish,  to  be  alone  in  the 
world  !  I  do  hope  she  may  love  him  in 
return." 

As  we  walked  along,  she  frequently 
asked  me  if  I  thought  any  one  could 
detect  her  ?  and  I  assured  her  that  with 
due  caution  and  presence  of  mind,  she 
might  forever  pass  unknown.  She  heeded 
my  advice  and  manifested  considerable 
resolution,  saying  that  she  believed  she 
could  go  even  to  the  Quarters,  and  if  her 
sister  was  there,  still  maintain  her  com- 
posure unobserved.  But  when  we  neared 
the  place,  at  that  low  spot  of  ground  just 
in  front  where  the  Irish  exile  sighed  to 
have  a  house,  so  the  clank  of  niggers' 
chains  might  lull  him  to  sleep,  so  forgetful 
that  for  liberty  he  had  himself  rebelled — 
when  we  neared  this  memorable  spot,  and 
beheld  there  assembled  some  fifty  or  a 
hundred  people,  and  in  the  crowd  what 
seemed  to  be  the  fugitive,  Kate,  marching 
amidst  a  throng  of  police  and  the  curious 
populace,  Joe  siezed  my  arm,  exclaiming, 
"  What  is  yonder  ?  See  !  a  charge  in 
double  breast  of  full  a  score  against  that 
poor,  helpless  girl.  Oh,  I  cannot,  cannot 
further  go  !  'Tis  my  sister — no,  it  cannot 
be  !  Oh,  what  shall  I  do  !  "  and  she  burst 
into  tears,  holding  me  that  I  might  pro- 
ceed no  further.  Said  I,  "Be  resolute, 
dear  girl,  imagine  nothing.  Look  with 
indifference ;  'tis  not  your  sister,  I  am  sure. 
At  all  events  study  more  what  you  can  do, 
and  waste  your  power  less  on  idle  sym- 
pathy." 

Very  soon  I  saw  that  she  could  go  no 
further  without  herself  becoming  a  mark 
of  observation,  and  persuaded  her  to  halt 
by  the  way  until  I  inspected  the  tumult. 
This  was  the  occasion  on  which  I  gave  her 
a  cigar.  She  did  not  smoke,  and  it  was 
not  lighted,  but  simply  held  it  in  her 
mouth  to  assist  in  disguising  her  as  a 
boy.  I  then  proceeded  alone,  leaving  her 
standing  on  the  sidewalk.     Many  persons 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


85 


passed,  but  no  one  seemed  to  notice  us. 
The  attention  was  all  on  the  tumult.  I 
could  not  tell  at  first  what  it  was  about, 
but  the  crowd  was  very  dense,  and  I  saw 
coming  on  a  full  run  Mrs.  Lucy  Tabiatha 
Stimpkins,  and  Professor  Jackson.  I  knew 
then  that  it  was  the  party  with  the  fugi- 
tive, and  that  a  rich  scene  was  about  to 
be  enacted.  I  ran  as  fast  as  I  could,  and 
when  I  reached  the  place,  Mrs.  Lucy  rushed 
in  before  the  officers,  looking,  indeed, 
almost  a  maniac. 

"  I  protest !  "  she  said.  "  In  the  name 
of  Heaven  I  protest !  You  shall  not  rein- 
slave  that  child  !  "  and  she  seized  hold 
and  forced  a  halt.  But  the  officers  pushed 
her  aside,  saying,  "  Now  we  want  none  of 
that  sort  of  stuff.  Let  go.  Let  go,  I  say." 
But  the  woman  said,  "  Never  but  by  vio- 
lence. I  will  hold  on  as  long  as  my  feeble 
grasp  has  power,  and  when  that  fails  I 
will  cast  myself  upon  the  points  of  your 
daggers.  Hew  me  in  pieces  who  dares  ! 
Here  !  I  will  bare  my  breast !  Dogs  ! 
Beasts  !     She  shall  be  free  !  " 

"  Away,  away,  foolish  woman  ! "  said  the 
officers,  and  then  the  owner  came  forward, 
saying  that  whoever  claimed  his  slave  was 
a  thief  and  an  Abolitionist.  "  I  want 
nothing  of  you,  you  are  opposing  the  law. 
Away,  away ! "  And  then  the  crowd 
surged  forward,  and  the  mutterings  of 
many  voices  made  confusion.  But  soon 
the  woman's  shrill  voice  broke  forth  again. 
"  Halt !  Halt,  I  say  !  This  thing  shall 
never  be  !  She  is  no  slave ;  she's  white  ! 
Carry  me,  drag  me,  tear  me  hence  who 
can  !  "  And  I  now  looked  far  into  the 
crowd,  and  beheld  Mrs.  Lucy  clinging  fast 
upon  the  poor  slave,  who,  though  fright- 
ened, told  me  in  her  fairy-like  face  she 
was  the  identical  sister,  Kate.  The  men 
were  endeavoring  to  pull  Mrs.  Lucy  away, 
but  as  often  as  they  tore  her  hands  off  she 
again  laid  hold.  The  sympathy  of  the 
crowd  was  with  the  poor  slave,  who,  all 
dust,  with  clothes  rent  by  violence,  and 
her  pale  auburn  hair  dishevelled  and  dan- 
gling on  her  pallid  features,  wet  with 
tears,  and  eyes  dilated  with  fears  terrible, 
but  now  an  instrument  of  contention,  pull- 
ed both  ways  as  a  child  between  two  furi- 
ous bears.  All  the  while  nearer  to  the 
Quarters  they  surged.  But  yet  awhile, 
and  the  dire  confusion  broke ;  some  blows, 
a  squall,  a  scream.  I  saw  it  not,  but  heard, 
and  then  beheld  a  part  and  parcel  of  the 
crowd  tear  loose  and  run.  And  then 
an  opening.  There  stood  Mrs.  Lucy 
Tabiatha  Stimpkins,  some  scratched  and 
bruised,  but  worse  her  clothes  the  con- 
test held.  Kate  was  dragged  off  with 
the  flying  crowd.     Alone  stood  Mrs.  Lucy, 


and     thus     after    her    vanquishers    held 
forth : 

"  Now  curses  on  ye,  O  ye  cruel  monsters  : 
And  bide  ye  yet,  but  this  is  Heaven's  spoil. 
Die,  Liberty  !    All  that  is  holy  die  ! 
Satan  come  on,  to  thee  I  do  bequeath 
My  countrymen  and  laws  of  equal  rights ! 
The  right  to  choose  pursuit,  forsooth,  alas, 
A  constitution  faced  for  Heaven,  but  planned 
For  Satan's  vilest  purposes.     Fly  !     Fly  ! 
Ye  dogs  of  plunder !    Gloat  on  your  fair  flower, 
Drink  deep  the  sin  !    Long  live  the  angel  girl 
To  satiate  your  hellish  appetites. 
No,  never,  death !    I  swear,  as  1  am  woman, 
Never  shall  villains  walk  that  sacred  road. 
She  shall  be  free,  or  meet  her  prayed  for  death ! " 

She  said  more,  but  it  was  all  after  that 
style,  and  then  she  turned  abruptly  away 
and  was  soon  lost  to  view.  I  followed  the 
crowd  up  to  the  Quarters.  It  was  a  brick 
house,  rather  old  and  shabby.  On  the 
front  wras  the  following  sign : 

"  Slaves  bought  and  sold  here.  Highest  price  paid 
for  fugitives.  Guard  room ;  keep  a  night-watch. 
Slaves  boarded  for  their  owners.  Money  advanced  on 
slaves.  Slaves  procured  on  short  notice,  and  war- 
ranted.   William  Filmore,  Ksq.,  proprietor. 

Besides  this  were  many  posters  for 
"  Runaway  slaves."  "  Rewards."  "  Over- 
seers to  go  South,  wanted."  "  This  house 
has  connection  with  all  first-class  slave- 
traders  in  the  South."  "  Established  eigh- 
teen years."  "  References  of  the  highest 
respectability."  "Fugitives  captured."  "We 
keep  several  first  class  detectives  to  ferret 
out  runaways." 

I  read  all  these  notices  before  I  could 
make  way  through  the  crowd  to  the  house. 
Heard  much  laughing.  Many  of  the  men 
joked  about  the  fugitive.  The  words  they 
said  cannot  be  written.  Hard  words  were 
also  used  about  Mrs.  Lucy.  No  man  cried 
"  shame."  I  know  that  if  any  man  had 
showed  disa23proval  to  the  dragging  of 
the  slave  to  the  Quarters,  he  would  have 
been  shot  or  stabbed  on  the  spot.  One  of 
the  officers,  the  one  who  most  pulled  at 
the  fugitive's  arm,  was  a  United  States 
Marshal.  I  did  not  see  him  kick  her.  He 
gripped  her  arm  so  tightly  she  cried.  It 
was  not  the  Marshal  that  seized  her  by  the 
hair.  It  was  an  assistant.  Heard  him  say 
it  was  fine  wool,  and  he  added  an  oath  to 
his  words.  She  offered  no  resistance  dur- 
ing the  foregoing  melee ;  she  was  pale 
with  fright.  She  did  not  moan.  Large 
tear-drops  flowed  down  her  cheeks.  I 
could  not  see  her  fairly  in  the  crowd.  She 
had  chains  on  both  wrists ;  also  on  her 
ankles.  She  could  not  go  as  fast  as  the 
Marshal,  and  that  was  why  he  gripped 
and  jerked  her  arm  so  cruelly. 

In  the  Quarters  she  was  placed  in  the 
front  room  ;  could  be  seen  from  the  street. 
The  window  was  open ;  the  day  was 
warm.   I  saw  her  sitting  on  a  bench.   Two 


8G 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


others  were  sitting  at  her  left  hand  side. 
They  quite  dark ;  I  think  they  were  mula- 
toes,  or  half  breeds,  as  they  are  commonly 
called.  One  of  them  seemed  contented  ; 
that  one  was  a  man.  The  other  was  a 
woman,  about  fifty  years  of  age.  When 
Kate  was  pushed  into  the  room,  the  old 
woman  rose,  saying,  "  O  Lord,  my  God  !  " 
and  she  burst  into  tears.  The  keeper  hit 
her  lightly  with  his  cane.  The  slaves  then 
sat  down  and  the  keeper  went  out.  Many 
others  beside  myself  lingered  in  front  of 
the  house  to  look  upon  Kate.  She  saw  us 
not.  She  looked  downward  ;  never  raised 
her  eyes  toward  Heaven.  Once  or  twice 
she  gazed  at  her  arm,  now  black  and  blue 
from  the  Marshal's  grip,  but  instantly  her 
eyes  again  fell  to  the  floor.  She  moved 
not ;  sat  upright,  pale  as  death,  a  beautiful 
American  slave  ! 

While  we  looked  on,  Russel  came  ujx 
He  clapped  a  man  on  the  shoulder,  saying, 
"  That's  the  chalk  !  Your  money's  ready." 
Some  of  the  crowd  set  up  a  cheer  for  the 
secession  of  South  Carolina.  They  said 
Cotton  was  king.  Many  of  them  boasted 
that  the  Government  of  England  would 
be  on  the  side  of  slavery ;  that  if  the 
Southern  States  would  found  a  govern- 
ment, based  on  slavery,  that  the  British 
Government  had  assured  them  they  should 
meet  every  encouragement  it  was  possible 
to  give.  Many  of  the  crowd  gave  groans 
for  Lincoln,  and  for  Abolitionists,  and  then 
they  gradually  dispersed.  I  returned  to 
my  companion,  Joe.  She  was  still  at  the 
lamppost  with  her  cigar.  I  feared  to  tell 
her  her  sister  was  indeed  the  person,  for  I 
thought  she  would  betray  herself  by  cry- 
ing or  fainting.  She  asked  me,  "  Is  it 
really  my  sister  ?  Tell  me,  for  I  am  dying 
with  suspense." 

"  No,"  said  I,  "  it  was  only  a  common 
culprit.     A  little  thief  girl." 

"  Oh,  indeed  !  really  ?  " 

"  Ay,  really  !  " 

"  Then  I  am  so  hajjpy.  Oh,  what  a 
burden  it  has  been  to  me  !  and  now  I  am  so 
relieved.  Indeed  I  would  like  now  to  see 
the  girl,  thief  as  she  is,  that  has  given  me 
so  much  concern.  Come,  take  me  to  the 
prison,  I  will  see  the  thief,  or  drunken 
woman,  that  I  may  laugh  at  my  foolish 
fears." 

"  No,"  said  I,  "  a  prison  is  no  place  for 
a  youth  like  you,  let  us  return  to  the 
Capital." 

"  Why,  now,  indeed,  you  frighten  me. 
It  was  my  sister,  and  you  fear  to  tell 
me  V " 

"  On  my  word,  dear  girl,  can  you  think 
I  would  wrong  one  I  have  sworn  to  be- 
friend ?  " 


"  Now,  I  objure  you,  if  you  are  my 
friend  indeed,  tell  me  if  it  were  my  sis- 
ter ? " 

"  Why,  I  am  your  friend,  and  wishing 
to  save  you,  for  you  might  be  overcome ; 
I  told  you  wrongly." 

"  Alas,  my  sister  !  Poor  Kate  !  Take 
me,  sir,  I  honor  you,  oh  noble  citizen  !  " 

I  then  told  her  to  take  my  arm,  and  we 
walked  awhile,  she  drooping  and  weeping 
the  while.  I  knew  not  how  to  comfort 
her ;  I  had  no  plan  to  rescue  her  sifter. 
After  we  had  gone  two  or  three  squares, 
she  stopped  short,  saying,  "No,  no,  what 
am  I  about  ?  Why  do  I  not  go  to  my 
sister  ?  Come,  I  will  share  with  her ;  take 
me  !  "  and  she  looked  up  into  my  face,  her 
tears  were  gone  and  she  seemed  resolute. 
"  You  see,  I  am  older  and  grown  in  more 
independence,  but  my  sister  looks  for  some 
one  to  look  out  for  her.  If  I  go  back  with 
her,  Providence  may  show  us  yet  some 
way  of  escape,  but  if  I  stay  here,  I  know 
my  sister  will  pine  and  die.  Therefore  I 
must  go.     Come,  take  me  !  " 

"  Rather  say  you  will  help  provide  your 
sister's  rescue,  and  I  am  not  long  in  yield- 
ing. After  we  have  failed  in  all  things, 
your  proposition  is  still  good.  Russel  will 
undoubtedly  keep  Kate  here  for  several 
days,  while  he  searches  for  you.  During 
this  interval  we  can  counsel  on  all  the 
plans  we  may  invent.  Let  us  hence  now, 
using  our  judgment  more,  and  our  sym- 
pathy less."  To  this  she  assented,  and  we 
started  back.  In  front  of  the  flower  gar- 
dens we  encountered  that  ever  crazy  pair, 
Mrs.  Lucy  Tabiatha  Stimpkins  and  Pro- 
fessor Jackson. 

"  I  never  heard  of  a  husband,"  said  she 
to  him,  "  if  indeed  husband  means  a  wo- 
man's partner — that  loitered  by  the  way 
nursing  ever  the  woes  of  a  lost  purse. 
Why  have  you  not  followed  me  ?  Were 
you  true  to  our  glorious  cause,  we  would 
now  have  been  champions  in  one  of  the 
greatest  affairs  of  the  age.  With  my  sin- 
gle hand  I  encountered  a  hundred  men, 
who  were  mad  with  the  capture  of  a  fugi- 
tive little  slave,  and  full  exultant,  flying 
with  their  game,  and  boasting  of  their 
clutch  on  the  frail  creature.  But  I  was 
overcome.  Brute  force  overrun  woman's 
moral  power.  And  I  have  to  thank  you. 
You  were  not  on  hand." 

"  Indeed,  my  dear,  you  much  mistake 
these  matters.  We  are  in  advance  of  the 
age.  The  tide  is  against  us.  In  all  our 
adventures  we  fail.  Had  I  been  there, 
they  had  murdered  us.  You,  being  a  wo- 
man, was  spared." 

"  Is  that  indeed  your  courage  in  the 
cause  of  human  rights  ?     Have  you  been 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


8T 


really  lecturing  for  years  on  the  cause  of 
Woman's  Rights,  and  now,  when  we  put 
our  doctrine  into  practice,  and  have  almost 
accomplished  the  glorious  result,  do  you 
eternally  wail  over  that  hundred  and  six- 
teen dollars?  Did  we  not  carry  the  late 
election  ?  Did  we  not  exult  over  the  Sen- 
ate, and  the  members  dared  not  lay  hands 
on  us  ?  You  say  you  cannot  live  on  one 
meal  a  day ;  you  do  not  like  water  and 
bread.  Are  you  a  glutton  ?  Do  the  tem- 
poral things  of  life  most  concern  you  ? 
Now  I  tell  you,  I  am  seriously  considering 
about  reducing  our  food  to  one  meal  a 
week.  I  have  carefully  estimated  the  wear 
and  tear  of  the  human  body,  and  I  find  it 
cannot  exceed  a  pound  a  week.  Whoever 
eats  more  than  that,  is  not  conversant  with 
or  obedient  to  the  laws  of  Nature.  If  we 
raise  money  enough  to  publish  another 
edition  of  our  Journal  of  Progress,  I  in- 
tend to  have  in  it  an  editorial  on  eating. 
You  shall  see  then  where  you  stand. 
Have  you  been  here  all  day  ?  " 

"  No  ;  I  have  been  very  busy." 

"  Well,  what  have  you  done  ?  " 

"  Nothing,  nothing." 

"  Professor  Jackson  !  There  are  four 
million  slaves  in  this  country ;  do  you 
know  that  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  do." 

"  Well,  do  you  know  that  the  Southern 
States  wish  to  extend  their  slave  institu- 
tion, and  that  to  accomplish  their  purpose 
they  are  about  to  separate  from  the  Free 
States  ? " 

"  Yes,  I  do." 

"  Do  you  know  the  British  Government 
encourages  them  in  it,  in  hopes  to  destroy 
this  nation  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  do." 

"  And  will  you  sit  and  remain  silent 
while  these  evils  are  being  carried  out  3  " 

"  I  don't  want  to,  but  how  can  a  man 
work  without  tools  ?  " 

"  Tools  !  Professor  ?  Had  you  seen  the 
helpless  girl — the  poor  child  I  just  saw — 
you  would  not  talk  of  tools.  When  I 
have  nails  on  my  fingers'  ends,  I  have 
tools  for  such  work.  When  I  have  a 
tongue,  I  am  provided.  Ay,  any  power 
left,  I  cin  use  it,  and  will.  Come  on,  let 
us  march  hand  in  hand.  I  have  work 
aboard.  The  law,  feeble  as  it  is,  and  in 
as  vile  hands    as  it  is,   may  be   used." 

"  Well,  as  for  this  business,  I  know 
nothing.  But  I  am  sure  of  failure.  It 
will  be  a  loss  of  time  and  loss  of  money. 
I  think  I  can  do  more  good  going  round  the 
country  lecturing,  than  I  cau  in  this  busi- 
ness. If  you  will  pay  me  back  my  hundred 
and  sixteen  dollars,  I  shall  like  it  better." 
"  Now,   I  tell  you,  unless  you  arouse 


yourself  up  to  more  action,  you  shall  never 
have  a  cent.  I  shall  turn  you  adrift  alto- 
gether. You  shall  learn  to  treat  me  as  a 
lady,  or  I  will  have  done  with  you.  So, 
there  now." 

"  Oh,  indeed,  I  meant  nothing  !  I  am 
willing  to  do  anything  reasonable.  Only 
lead  the  way,  and  I  will  follow." 

"  Come  on  then,  we'll  have  no  more  of 
this." 

He  signified  his  entire  consent,  and 
they  got  up  and  walked  off  together,  her 
tongue  on  the  continual  clatter,  but  we 
heard  no  more. 

"  Oh,  that  she  is  not  ashamed !  "  said 
my  companion  as  soon  as  we  started  on, 
"  to  let  herself  become  so  foreign  to  the 
retiring  sweetness  of  woman,  which  so 
charms  and  pleases  all  men.  And  that  he 
is  shameless  in  the  presence  of  such  a 
creature,  who  has  so  seemingly  entailed 
grief  on  him  till  he  has  no  power  to  shake 
her  off.  Why,  now,  I  thought  indeed, 
where  laws  protected  marriage,  marriage 
was  the  heaven  of  a  lifetime.  Truly,  it 
seems  where  trouble  is  not  forced  on  us, 
we  ourselves  seek  it  out  and  adopt  it  as  a 
desirable  thing  to  live  with.  But  we,  that 
are  bound  by  others,  to  others  whom  we 
abhor,  we  have  real  woe.  My  poor  sister 
Kate,  in  all  this  dread  while  must  loiter 
there,  alone  in  spirit,  thought,  feelings. 
Pondering  ever  on  her  horrid  prospects. 
Nothing,  save  the  soul  within  her,  feeds 
her  pleading,  bleeding  power.  Even  time 
must  linger  to  wear  her  patience  out.  Oh, 
my  poor  sister  !  my  poor  sister  !  " 

Again  and  again  she  asked  herself  what 
she  could  do  for  Kate.  "  Oh,  is  there 
nothing  I  can  do  ?  Can  I  not  break  open 
the  door  and  provide  her  exit  ?  Can  I  not 
even  speak  to  her  ?  Shall  I  desert  her 
now  she  is  in  prison  ?  O  God,  show  me 
what  I  shall  do  ?  Is  there  no  penance 
worthy  of  this  ?  Teach  me,  O  my  Father 
in  Heaven.  Impose  upon  me  that  the 
tearing  of  the  flesh  from  my  arms  will  free 
my  sister.  Take  hence  an  arm,  a  foot,  or 
shut  up  my  ears,  but  O,  burst  the  fetters 
of  that  helpless  child  ?  Give  her  freedom ! 
O  give  her  freedom  !  " 

I  told  her  she  should  desist  in  this  idle 
talk,  for  it  amounted  to  nothing ;  urging 
her  to  use  her  judgment  only.  I  knew, 
too,  it  would  not  answer  for  her  to  see 
Kate,  for  she  would  be  sure  to  betray  her- 
self. "  Have  you  no  way,"  said  I,  "  you 
can  send  word  to  Kate  ?  " 

"  Ah  !  Why,  certainly  !  Have  I  forgot- 
ten myself?  We  had  it  planned.  I  am 
to  write  on  a  thin  paper,  send  it  her  in  a 
piece  of  tobacco.  A  glorious  thought ! 
See ;  but  no  !     Well,  I  can  at  least  com- 


88 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


fort  her."  I  was  much  teased  by  her  ex- 
citability, for  many  people  passed  us,  and 
some  of  them  frequently  turned  to  look  at 
us.  If  it  should  be  proved  that  I  was  ac- 
cessory to  her  disguise,  I  was  safely  in  for 
a  year's  imprisonment  myself.  Knowing 
this.,  I  cautioned  her  every  few  paces,  and 
hurried  as  fast  as  I  could  to  the  Jackson 
House.  I  was  anxious  to  see  Ann  Under- 
bill, to  learn  all  about  her  concealing  Kate, 
and  to  learn  too  if  she  had  a  plan  matured 
for  Kate's  rescue.  In  turn  I  had  resolved 
to  tell  her  all  about  Lizzie,  or,  as  now 
called,  Joe  Travers.  I  will  not  deny  that 
I  hoped  the  similarity  of  our  actions  would 
enlist  her  more  in  my  favor. 

Washington  was  becoming  dangerous 
for  me  ;  men  were  murdered  every  day  for 
their  political  sentiments,  if  opposed  to 
the  slave  sentiment  of  the  South.  Boasts 
were  common  and  bets  frequent,  that  Lin- 
coln would  never  reach  Washington  alive. 
At  the  Planter's  Restaurant  was  an  open 
book  on  the  counter,  where  men  subscribed 
their  names,  and  the  amount  they  would 


give  to  any  body  who  would  kill  Lincoln. 
Books  of  the  same  kind  were  opened  in 
nearly  all  the  hotels  in  Charleston,  South 
Carolina.  But  this  was  all  called  mockery ; 
nonsense;  political  scare-crow.  The  threat- 
ened aspect  called  together  a  body  of  poli- 
ticians, nearly  all  of  whom  were  proslavcry 
men,  under  the  name  of  a  Peace  Congress. 
I  was  selected  as  a  member  of  that  body, 
and  was  now  pressed  for  time  in  which  to 
accomplish  my  purposes.  The  secessionists 
still  held  their  meetings  in  the  deserted 
house  where  Joe  was  first  found  by  me, 
and  I  determined  too  that  Joe,  knowing 
all  about  the  house,  should  secrete  herself 
on  the  premises  and  learn  all  about  their 
proceedings.  Of  course,  I  could  not  spend 
much  time  in  trying  to  free  Kate  from  the 
Quarters.  The  affairs  of  the  nation  were 
becoming  too  serious. 

The  writer  of  this  most  remarkable  his- 
tory is  here  ordered  to  say,  that  the  next 
chapter  is  already  written,  and  that  who- 
ever looks  a  little  further  ahead  will  dis- 
cover that  fact. 


CHAPTER    XII 


BEING  A  VERY  IMPORTANT  PART  OF  EVIDENCE  ENTIRE,  THE  RELATIONSHIP  OF  WHICH  CAN  ONLY  BE 
DISTINGUISHED  BY  THOSE  MYSTERIES  OF  WHICH  THE  WHOLE  COUNTRY  WILL  FOREVER  REMAIN 
IGNORANT. 


After  viewing  the  heading  to  this 
chapter,  the  writer  asked  Jenkins  if  it 
was  selected  from  Everett,  and  he  repli- 
ed by  way  of  explanation,  saying,  "  While 
I  was  travelling  in  a  country  where  were 
wealthy  peers  of  State,  a  nobleman  re- 
marked of  a  steamer,  '  Its  confluence  is  the 
traverse  of  two  bivalves  set  in  motion,  like 
the  mist  in  the  Valley  of  the  Nile,  where 
inundations  so  frequently  interrupt  the 
pleasure  of  travellers,  with  which  I  pre- 
sume everybody  in  this  age  is  perfectly 
familiar ; '  and  this  was  called  an  eloquent 
sentence.  It  was  indeed  with  some  pride 
that  I  remembered  the  literature  of  my 
own  country.  But  I  want  the  men  and 
women  to  read,  and  regardless  of  an  au- 
thor's name,  give  him  his  due ;  and  I 
wish  to  wake  up  my  countrymen  not  to 
boast  of  the  things  here  written,  or  niy 
blunders,  but  to  show  them  that  wit  and 
humor  lives  in  every  head,  only  it  is  some- 
times lost  in  the  stately  style  of  tasteless 
authors." 


I  told  Jenkins  that  he  spoke  well,  but 
he  had  not  yet  told  me  of  the  most  im 
portant  part  of  this  history,  and  that  was 
whether  he  married  Ann  Underhill ;  neither 
had  he  told  me  how  it  came  out  with  the 
Judge  and  Vickey.  I  never  saw  Jenkins 
look  so  sad ;  for  the  manner  in  which  I 
spoke,  made  it  seem  as  if  I  was  joking. 

"  Wait,"  said  he ;  "  I  am  only  telling  what 
was  at  that  time  a  too  oft  repeated  tale, 
and  which  must  now  and  forever  be  pre- 
served as  one  of  the  most  prominent  inci- 
dents connected  with  the  early  history  of 
the  great  rebellion — I  mean  the  mysterious 
disappearance  of  Miss  Underhill,  one  of  the 
leading  belles  of  the  Capital.  At  any 
other  time  in  our  country's  history,  such 
an  occurrence  would  have  created  the  most 
intense  excitement ;  but  the  threatened 
aspect  of  political  affairs  had  cast  its  deep 
shadow  over  all  other  things,  and  made 
them  comparatively  trivial.  Still,  the  sud- 
den departure,  the  mysteriously  secret  na- 
ture of  this  lady's  whereabouts  was  only 


LOVE  AND  WAR   IN   1860. 


89 


eecond  in  importance  to  all  else  in  the 
Capital." 

First  there  were  whispers  about  the 
hotel ;  then  from  house  to  house,  until  in 
all  the  avenues  of  the  city  her  name  be- 
came a  theme  of  every  tongue.  The  causes 
were  discussed,  and  the  probable  results 
questioned.  Was  she  dead  ?  Had  she 
eloped  !  Had  she  anything  to  do  with 
the  fugitive  that  was  captured  at  the 
hotel  ?  Every  person  acquainted  with  her 
told  of  her  beauty,  her  fame,  her  fortune. 
Those  unacquainted  with  her  grieved  that 
they  had  not  seen  her  and  known  her. 
Her  uncle,  Judge  Francis,  always  so  cheer- 
ful and  gay,  was  now  downcast  and  de- 
pressed beyond  measure.  The  joy  of  many 
years  was  now  clouded  and  full  of  woful 
suspense.  The  flower  of  his  life,  the  theme 
of  his  soul's  devotion  for  so  many  long  years, 
was,  without  a  moment's  warning,  now 
gone,  no  one  knew  where,  and  the  pangs 
of  a  broken  heart  were  his.  By  day  and 
by  night  he  sat  there  weeping  and  saying 
little,  and  those  who  joked  him  so  often 
before,  now  respected  his  tears ;  for  this  is 
one  of  the  most  excellent  traits  of  our 
countrymen. 

On  the  day  following  her  disappearance, 
the  newsjsapers  were  full  of  notices  of  her. 
In  New  York,  Philadelphia,  and  other 
cities,  the  papers  called  for  information  of 
her  whereabouts,  or  anything  that  would 
lead  to  information  of  her.  Large  sums 
of  money  were  offered,  but  nothing  came 
of  that.  Days  passed  by,  but  still  nothing 
was  heard.  This  was  the  time  that  the 
South  Carolina  Commissioners  came  to 
treat  with  James  Buchanan  for  the  separa- 
tion of  that  State  from  the  Union,  and  the 
whole  country  was  wrapped  up  in  the  in- 
terest of  the  approaching  ultimatum.  We 
were  all  of  us  at  fever  heat,  for  the  signs 
of  the  times  predicted  the  probable  fall  of 
a  great  and  good  government. 

The  Commissioners,  too,  longed  for  the 
Presidential  reception  for  the  crowning  of 
their  pet  scheme ;  the  consummation  of 
which  would  have  backset  the  rights  of 
man  for  many  ages.  But  even  while  these 
were  their  woful  prayers,  the  President  iu 
turn  was  weeping  for  the  inevitable  fall  of 
his  party,  and  this  it  was  that  bore  so 
heavily  on  his  soul. 

The  whole  country  was  in  commo- 
tion. The  storm  was  seen  approaching 
and  near  at  hand,  but,  where  first  it 
would  burst,  was  the  study  and  whis- 
per of  many  millions.  Omens,  signs,  and 
rumors.  The  South  did  most  their  glory 
boast,  and  would  they  fall  to  with  bloody 
hands  ?  But  should  they  by  Lincoln  be 
outdone  ?     Dread   deeds,  and  terrible  to 


the  peaceful,  great  republic.  A  nation's 
life  or  death  within  the  grasp  of  politi- 
cians ;  for  ere  our  country's  fate  was  settled, 
thousands  and  hundreds  of  thousands  must 
take  a  soldier's  diadem.  In  the  midst  of 
these  approaching  terrors,  how  can  I  give 
importance  to  the  theme  of  a  single  broken 
heart  ?  How  can  I  show  you  the  eccentric 
but  venerable  Judge  in  tears,  forgetful  of 
all  around  him  ?  And  the  belle  of  the 
Capital,  who  shall  search  for  our  sorrows 
in  the  awful  mystery  of  the  disappearance  ? 

Now  be  it  known  that,  owing  to  my 
anonymous  character,  I  am  now  about  to 
reveal  one  of  the  most  remarkable  at- 
tempts at  human  destruction  ever  planned 
on  this  continent. 

The  attempts  to  head  off  the  threatened 
war  were  so  feeble  by  all  our  Government 
officers,  that  some  of  us  felt  justified  in 
anything  that  would  avert  the  coming 
storm.  To  this  end  it  was  proposed  by 
Prescott  that  we  blow  up  the  secessionists 
during  their  secret  meeting.  Accordingly, 
we  procured  a  keg  of  powder,  and  put  it 
under  the  deserted  house,  but  owing  to  a 
former  faithful  promise,  I  will  not  divulge 
who  all  were  accessory  to  the  dread  deed. 
My  fugitive  Joe  was  employed,  and  had  a 
hazardous  part  to  play,  of  which  you  shall 
hear  by  and  by.  The  fuse  was  attached 
to  the  keg  and  extended  into  the  back 
yard,  and  was  calculated  for  six  minutes 
from  the  time  of  ignition  until  the  keg  of 
powder  would  blow  up.  The  time  for 
ignition  was  set  down  at  about  fifteen 
minutes  before  eleven.  This  was  on  pur- 
pose to  meet  the  railroad  train  going 
North  at  eleven.  We  had  also  bribed  the 
door-keeper  to  let  the  slave-girl,  Kate,  out 
at  fifteen  minutes  before  eleven.  Prescott 
and  I  were  to  remain  in  Washington,  but 
the  two  fugitives,  owing  to  the  expected 
excitement,  were  to  start  for  Canada.  So 
much  for  the  design,  now  for  the  execu- 
tion. Joe,  my  fugitive,  was  horrified  when 
I  proposed  it  to  her,  but  finally  did,  to  all 
appearance,  give  consent  and  even  praised 
the  invention.  We  trusted  her  implicitly. 
And  she  also  agreed  to  remain  in  an  ob- 
scure place  within  the  house  until  just 
before  the  explosion,  in  order  to  tell  us 
who  all  were  sure  to  die. 

Now,  when  the  night  had  come,  Pres- 
cott and  I  retired  near  the  place  to  await 
the  awful  moment ;  our  fugitive  having 
effected  an  entrance  and  secreted  herself 
within  the  house.  She  also  awaited  the 
result.  In  a  short  time  strangers  to  her 
came  in,  amongst  whom,  as  I  since  learned, 
were  Cobb,  Floyd,  Thompson,  and  others. 


90 


THE  FALL  OF  FOET  SUMTEE  ;  OE, 


She,  however,  goes  on  to  state  that  she 
afterwards  distinguished  Cobb,  having  seen 
him  in  the  South  on  a  previous  occasion. 
Fearing  that  she  might  be  detected  in  her 
hiding  place,  and  that  she  might  be  sud- 
denly despatched  as  a  spy,  she  had  pro- 
vided herself  with  a  pistol  to  be  used  as  a 
signal  to  Prescott  and  myself. 

In  due  time  the  meeting  was  called  to  or- 
der. Toombs  first  addressed  the  members, 
and,  on  this  occasion,  he  said  he  was  reluc- 
tantly compelled  to  admit  that  the  firmness 
of  Scott  for  the  Union  made  it  too  danger- 
ous an  affair  to  try  to  change  the  govern- 
ment of  the  whole  country  ;  but  that  the 
South  might  safely  set  up  for  itself,  and 
that,  for  his  part,  he  was  now  in  favor  of 
hazarding  nothing  greater  than  such  a 
design.  He  then  apologized  for  having, 
on  a  previous  occasion,  prevented  other 
members  from  advocating  the  scheme 
which  he  now  espoused  himself.  It  was 
on  this  occasion  that  a  letter  was  produced 
informing  the  members  of  the  meeting 
that  Mr.  Russel  of  the  London  Times  would 
soon  visit  the  Southern  States.  Davis  and 
Toombs  then  advised  the  selection  of 
Squire  Larramie  of  Virginia,  and  also  one 
Dr.  Thornton  of  the  same  place  to  be  sent 
to  England  to  open  a  direct  communica- 
tion through  the  London  Times  and  Post 
with  the  people  of  England,  in  regard  to 
the  rights  and  demands  of  the  people  of 
the  South.* 

"While  these  harangues  were  going  on, 
Joe,  the  spy-fugitive,  was  watching  them, 
and,  in  order  that  she  might  hear  better, 
she  leaned  forward  a  little  ;  for  the  wind 
blew  through  the  cracks  of  the  boards 
where  she  was  holding  her  ear,  and  she 
had  not  heard  all  that  had  been  said. 
Though  there  were  about  forty  members 
present,  yet  Toombs  aud  Davis  did  nearly 
all  the  talking.  In  thus  leaning  forward, 
however,  she  was  enabled  to  j)erceive  to 
her  chagrin,  that  the  door  was  guarded  by 
a  man  with  a  drawn  sword.  This  person 
she  recognized  on  the  instant.  It  was 
Orsini.  He  was  the  companion,  about  a 
year  previous,  of  an  actress  in  Savannah. 
That  actress  was  the  woman  to  whom  her 
own  master  was  married.  She  looked  upon 
him  as  the  murderer  of  her  master,  and 
she  involuntarily  screamed  outright.  But 
having  sufficient  presence  of  mind  to  com- 
pose herself,  she  sat  perfectly  still.  The 
members  of  the  meeting,  however,  all  start- 
ed to  their  feet,  immediately  mistrusting 
that  a  spy  was  present.   They  took  candles 

*  Subscriptions  to  he  used  for  this  purpose  were 
started  during  the  time  the  Southern  Commissioners 
were  in  Washington,  and  the  amount  of  money  raised 
for  that  object  was  six  hundred  aud  fifty  thousand  dol- 
lars ($650,000). 


and  went  about  to  examine  the  apartments. 
As  before  stated,  she  sat  behind  some  loose 
boards,  where  the  wind  was  blowing,  and 
she  feared  that  the  tumult  in  the  house 
would  cause  the  persons  in  the  yard  to 
anticipate  her  escape,  and  so  blow  them 
all  up  together.  Still  she  was  compelled 
to  sit  quietly  as  the  candles  were  passed 
from  place  to  place,  toward  every  corner, 
until  they  approached  even  to  the  very 
boards  where  she  was  sitting.  But  with 
perfect  coolness  she  blew  out  the  candles 
as  fast  as  they  were  thrust  behind  the 
boards,  even  on  several  occasions,  and  the 
person  having  the  light  in  charge  simply 
said  "  Confound  the  wind  !  "  Suffice  it  to 
say,  however,  they  all  came  to  the  conclu- 
sion that  they  had  heard  no  scream  at  all, 
but  that  it  had  been  the  wind  whistling, 
and  so  they  resumed  business. 

On  this  occasion  Davis  stated  that  it 
was  the  determined  policy  of  every  one  of 
the  members  present,  that  Buchanan  should 
not  receive  the  South  Carolina  Commis- 
sioners. He  hoped  that  not  a  week  would 
elapse  before  the  batteries  of  Charleston 
would  open  fire  on  the  forts  and  garrison 
of  Anderson's  soldiers.  He  had  heard  with 
joy  that  Anderson  had  removed  to  Fort 
Sumter,  and  he  considered  this  of  itself  an 
overt  act  against  the  South.  It  was,  he 
said,  a  menace  to  the  city  of  Charleston. 

Cobb  then  wished  to  know  what  action, 
if  any,  had  been  taken,  in  regard  to  the 
merchant  ship  sent  out  by  the  Government 
carrying  food  to  Anderson's  garrison. 
Thompson  answered,  saying,  "  The  Star 
of  the  West — our  friends  are  apprized  of 
her  coming  to  Charleston  ;  our  guns  will 
be  ready  for  her  reception."  * 

About  this  period  of  time,  also,  Toombs, 
Davis,  and  others  publicly  expressed  the 
wish  that  Southern  members  of  Congress 
should  not  all  leave  Washington.  They 
feared  that  the  opposition  might  pass  laws 
to  interfere  with  their  designs  ;  and  urged 
the  Southern  members  to  keep  their  seats 
as  long  as  possible.  These  are  the  facts  in 
detail,  perhaps  somewhat  tediously  told, 
of  the  plot  in  the  origin  and  carrying  out 
of  the  great  rebellion.  The  opposition  to 
the  instigators,  and  the  evidence  against 
them  was,  at  the  period  referred  to,  of  so 
small  moment  that  to  speak  of  it  in  any 
manner  was  only  to  elicit  ridicule. 

But  there  were  also  at  this  period  pa- 

*  Thompson  publicly  made  these  boasts  even  while 
he  held  his  Secretaryship. 

Toombs  in  turn  said  that  twenty-five  thousand  min- 
ute men  were  already  armed  and  equipped  in  Virginia 
ready  to  march  at  a  given  signal  into  Washington. 
Many  newspapers  of  the  country  detailed  all  the  above 
facts,  and  the  facts  wire  believed  to  be  true,  even  by 
the  President  himself,  and  yet  no  action  was  taken  by 
the  Government  to  prevent  the  coming  destruction. 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


91 


triots — men  firm  and  determined  to  use 
every  means,  no  matter  how  dreadful,  to 
thwart  these  apparently  wicked  designs, 
and  amongst  these  means  was  the  affair 
referred  to  of  blowing  up  the  house  that 
contained  the  leaders.  And  to  do  this 
effectually,  we  had  used  every  precaution  ; 
we  had  waited  till  such  an  hour  as  would 
surely  catch  all  the  chief  leaders ;  and  we 
could  even  now,  while  stationed  at  the 
fuse  with  well-tried  matches,  hear  the  tierce 
murmuring  of  their  villainous  tongues. 
Here  for  two  long  hours  we  sat  waiting, 
watching,  wearing,  trembling,  praying,  and 
justifying  the  deed  before  God.  All  the 
chances  did  we  weigh,  whether  we  should 
escape,  or  whether  be  caught  and  hanged, 
and  our  heartfelt  answer  was,  God's  will 
be  done  !  Yet  withal,  most  terrible  were 
our  convulsions  of  thoughts,  counting  the 
minutes  of  life  and  death  for  our  well- 
caged  felons.  But  then  came  a  new  mys- 
tery ;  instead  of  our  fugitive  returning  to 
us  as  we  expected,  she  lingered,  she  tar- 
ried so  long.  We  heard  the  scream  refer- 
red to  ;  we  heard  a  rustling  in  the  build- 
ing ;  could  she  have  been  killed  ?  This 
troubled  us  ;  it  set  us  all  on  fire.  An  hour 
passed  ;  Joe  came  not.  Yet  another  long 
hour  and  she  had  not  come.  The  time 
was  almost  up  to  light  the  fuse.  What 
should  we  do  ?  Who  can  imagine  what 
an  awful  suspense  was  ours  ?  We  whis- 
pered together,  still  as  the  midnight  air, 
and  we  advised,  but  heeded  not.  Yet 
patience  gave  us  victory.  Our  fugitive 
approached  us,  even  a  few  minutes  before 
the  fatal  moment.  Now  was  our  time.  By 
sign  and  motion  all  was  made  ready.  The 
fatal  match  was  lighted  ;  we  saw  it  burn, 
and  then  we  leisurely  walked  away.  Our 
escape  was  good,  orderly,  effectual.  But 
how  long  we  waited  for  the  explosion  ! 
Six  minutes !  We  waited  twenty.  Ay, 
an  hour  !  And  no  explosion.  What  could 
it  mean  ?  We  dared  not  return.  We  had 
no  chance.  We  needs  must  go  home  dis- 
appointed. Perhaps  might  be  detected 
and  made  to  suffer,  not  for  what  we  did, 
but  for  what  we  attempted.  Prescott  was 
downright  mad.  Joe  was  mysterious,  and 
seemed  discomfited.  Neither  Prescott  nor 
myself  mistrusted  but  she  was  heart  and 
soul  with  us.  Though  now  that  the  fail- 
ure was  manifest,  we  needs  must  look 
about  for  our  other  fugitive,  Kate ;  she 
had  not  ap])roached  the  place  designated, 
and  here  too  were  we  disappointed.  For 
we  traced  every  street,  alley,  and  lane 
near  the  Quarters ;  but  could  not  find 
her.  Thus,  with  disappointment  on  all 
sides,  and  the  fear  of  detection  too, 
we  wended  our  way  back  to  lodgings, 


but  not  to  rest,  for  the  play  was  scarce 
begun. 

I  cannot  now,  when  reviewing  these 
long  past  scenes,  describe  with  what  as- 
tonishment and  discomfiture  I  learned  on 
the  following  morning  of  the  house  having 
been  blown  up,  and  of  the  escape  of  the 
fugitive.  My  plans  and  schemes  and  plots 
were  all  frustrated.  I  set  about  discover- 
ing the  cause  of  what  was  passed,  and  to 
devise  something  for  the  future.  Bearing 
strictly  in  mind,  too,  that  I  was  the  chief 
suspected  person  and  that  a  price  was  set 
on  my  head.  Added  to  my  distress  was 
also  the  mysterious  disappearance  of 
Miss  Underbill.  My  first  desire  was  to 
seek  such  information  of  her  as  I  could 
best  obtain. 

To  do  this,  I  encountered  Joe,  who  was 
apparently  as  much  discomfited  as  myself, 
and  at  about  as  much  loss  how  to  account 
for  the  past  occurrences.  She  then  went 
on  to  give  me  a  description  of  such  things 
as  might  lead  me  to  discover  something  in 
relation  to  Miss  Underbill's  whereabouts  ; 
and  related  things  to  me  which  made  it 
apparent  that  she  might  have  possibly,  in 
some  unguarded  moment,  consented  to  an 
elopement. 

"  Only  on  the  evening  previous,"  said 
Joe,  and  she  came  close  to  me  and  told  me 
quietly  of  the  apparent  attachment  be- 
tween the  two.  "Only  on  the  evening 
previous  to  this,"  said  she,  "  Wadsworth 
spoke  to  her  of  the  beauties  of  his  South- 
ern home,  and  of  his  own  loneliness.  She 
was  attending  to  all  he  said.  As  if  to 
urge  him  to  cure  his  maladies  with  some 
congenial  fair  one,  she  assured  him  any 
one  might  be  happy  with  such  a  home, 
and  almost  hinted  that  the  dreams  of  such 
a  spot  had  consoled  her  own  lone  heart. 
Yet  not  quite  did  either  one  speak  that 
which  I  most  wished  to  hear,  and  which, 
too,  I  thought  each  of  them  wished  to  say 
but  dared  not.  And  thus  it  ran  from  day 
to  day.  At  times  he  spoke  of  his  intended 
departure,  but  still  he  lingered.  At  times 
he  spoke  of  the  dreadful  aspect  of  the 
country.  He  told  her  that  his  fortunes 
were  in  the  South,  and  if  war  came  he 
feared  his  ruin.  And  then  he  thought  if 
ruin  came,  he  could  not  think  of  entailing 
that  ruin  on  another.  Thus  by  indirect 
hints,  and  by  apparent  backwardness  be- 
tween the  two,  I  could  only  discover  that 
their  attachment  was  guarded  by  serious 
affairs."  Joe.  was  quick  at  thought,  and 
turning  to  me,  she  added  :  "  But  see, 
Wadsworth,  you  know,  is  not  gone.  Now, 
were  he  gone,  we  could  be  content ;  for 
then  we  could  say  They  are  truly  eloped. 
This  pair  has  flowm  together :  but  while  he 


92 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  :  OR, 


is  here,  and  himself  overcome  by  the  course 
of  things,  all  my  conjectures  are  eclipsed  ; 
they  are  not  gone  together."  And  so,  in 
fact,  it  was  with  us  all.  No  one  to  whom 
this  fair  lady  was  attached  had  disappear- 
ed with  her.  Her  dearest  and  best  mends, 
and  her  most  ardent  admirers  were  still  in 
Washington. 

Now,  it  so  happened  a  few  days  after 
her  disappearance,  and  when  Joe  and 
Judge  Francis  Underbill  and  myself  were 
returning  from  a  place  where  we  had  been 
making  inquiries  regarding  recent  inci- 
dents of  Miss  Underbill,  Ave  came  to  a 
corner  of  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  where  we 
met,  at  diverse  angles,  Victoria  Edge  and 
her  aunt.  There  could  not  have  been  a 
better  or  more  opportune  occurrence  to 
divert  the  melancholy  of  us  all.  Vickey 
was  gay  and  joyful,  to  all  appearances; 
but  the  aunt  was  so  strange  and  so  seem- 
ingly out  of  place,  that  we  were  complete- 
ly astounded  and  not  displeased  with  the 
difference  in  style. 

The  Judge  braced  himself  backward  a 
moment  on  his  walking-stick,  ejaculating, 
"  Ah,  indeed,  these  happy  moments  !  Never 
winter  came,,  but  smiling  summer  follow- 
ed ;  never  sorrow  lingered,  but  bountiful 
nature  sent  a  joy  to  outmatch  it.  Welcome, 
you  who,  more  than  all  the  world  beside, 
can  fill  the  place  of  gentle  Ann.  You,  the 
pride  and  joy  of  a  broken-hearted  old  man 
— the  pride,  the  joy,  the  reciprocal  tie  to  a 
heart-broken  old  man  !  "  And  then  with 
a  handkerchief  all  doubled  up,  he  cleared 
his  face.  Vickey,  not  thinking  but  his  ad- 
dress was  delivered  to  her  aunt,  wist  not 
what  to  say,  but  smiling,  turned  toward 
the  ancient  maid,  who  was  indeed  the 
strangest  figure.  Alack,  I  must  tell  you, 
she  had  been  to  the  dentist,  and  her  mouth 
was  stuffed  with  a  double  set  of  teeth,  and 
plumpers  stretching  her  withered  cheeks 
to  the  utmost.  Tightly  she  clenched  her 
jaws  to  hold  the  awful  contents,  and  not 
a  word  could  speak. 

"  You  must  excuse  her,"  said  Vickey, 
"  she's  just  got  a  new  set  of  teeth,  and  she 
cannot  talk.  Meantime  I  am  happy  to 
reply  in  her  behalf  and  for  myself  also, 
that  your  bereavement  has  also  well  nigh 
distracted  me.  Since  your  niece  disap- 
peared, I  have  not  had  a  moment's  happi- 
ness. I  am  indeed  so  miserable  I  can  only 
add  to  your  own  affliction."  She  then 
turned  to  Joe  and  me  and  very  cordially 
greeted  us.  In  a  minute  more  we  were 
walking  all  on  together.  But  as  five  can- 
not walk  abreast,  so  the  Judge  and  Vickey 
got  ahead,  and  in  spite  of  myself  I  was 
obliged  to  be  the  arms-bearer  to  the  old 
maid.     Joe,  in  spite  of  all  the  horrors  and 


woful  scenes  she  had  passed,  now  hung 
her  head  and  screened  off  the  oft  recurring 
laugh.  Again  and  again  the  old  maid  at- 
tempted to  speak,  but  her  teeth  and  plump- 
era  so  stretched  her  mouth  she  always 
failed.  Two  or  three  times  they  got  loose 
and  well  nigh  made  their  escape  from  her 
mouth,  but  she  caught  them  and  crammed 
them  back.  People  were  passing  us  and 
continually  turning  to  look  at  her ;  and 
she  walked  so  limpy  and  slow,  so  proud 
of  her  patent  bosom  and  high-topped  bon- 
net, the  latter  all  tipped  and  tinselled  with 
gold,  and  such  hoops ;  my  legs  tilted  them 
a  yard  high  on  the  other  side.  It  was  the 
fashionable  hour  on  Pennsylvania  Avenue, 
and  even  the  leisurely  promenading  ladies 
and  gentlemen  of  fashion  walked  faster 
than  we.  Those  who  came  along  on  t lie 
other  side,  from  behind,  and  passed  us, 
having  seen  the  old  maid's  fine  bonnet  and 
fine  dress,  beneath  whose  up-tilted  skirt 
hung  common  flannel  half  down  her  wrin- 
kled stockings,  turned,  when  just  ahead, 
to  see  the  face  of  so  strange  a  woman. 
Here,  behold — they  did  behold  a  face  like 
a  famished  squirrel's  full  of  nuts.  Next 
they  looked  at  me  and  then  at  Joe.  They 
were  astonished  ;  nudging  and  grinning  all 
the  way.  I  wished  seriously  I  was  at  home. 
It  seemed  to  me  that  always  when  I  went 
anywhere,  I  got  the  oldest  and  ugliest 
girls.  The  hotel  was  yet  so  far  off.  And 
then,  too,  if  that  mischievous  clerk 
should  be  watching  for  us  ;  and  he  should 
see  me  with  the  old  maid  8  I  sighed  for 
an  interruption.  If  only  Floyd  would 
come,  or  Orsini,  and  challenge  me,  or  if 
some  special  messenger  should  call  me. 
Doomed  to  walk  with  the  most  foolishly 
dressed  old  maid ;  with  a  face  for  the 
grave,  and  a  frock  for  a  flirting  girl  of 
fifteen.  Fortunately,  however,  a  change 
occurred,  and  I  was  relieved.  A  man 
came  galloping  down  the  avenue,  and 
seeing  me,  halted  just  opposite  where  we 
were.  He  beckoned  for  me  to  approach 
him,  and  I  did  so.  I  had  never  seen  him 
before,  and  though  under  other  circum- 
stances I  might  have  hesitated,  yet  now, 
being  so  anxious  to  get  rid  of  the  old 
maid,  I  gladly  accepted  his  invitation  to 
proceed  in  another  direction,  leaving  Joe 
without  any  instructions  as  to  what  she 
should  do  ;  only  saying  that  I  should  be 
at  the  Jackson  House  ere  long. 

At  this  important  part  of  the  history, 
the  writer  is  obliged  to  strike  off  from  the 
main  column,  to  deal  with  one  of  the  wings 
thereof.  It  must  be  remembered  that  here- 
tofore this  history  has  been  written  in 
subsequent  time  ;  the  reader  has  been  fol- 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


lowing  the  story  ;  but  from  this  point  on- 
ward, the  prospective  will  bear  a  very  im- 
portant part,  What  is  to  be  said  now  is 
selected  from  Jenkins'  notes  in  advance  of 
the  place  here  stopped  at,  and  it  begins 
in  this  fashion,  to  wit : 

Not  long  after  Ann  Underbill  became 
acquainted  with  Wadswortb,  she  took 
to  the  habit  of  promenading  on  the  outer 
porch  of  the  hotel,  and  frequently  alone. 
Those  who  are  acquainted  with  this  house 
know  that  the  porch  alluded  to  is  very 
pleasant  in  the  afternoon,  and  is  often  the 
resort  of  persons  of  fashion.  To  see  a  lady 
walking  there  is  nothing  strange ;  one 
would  hardly  question  whether  she  be  in 
love  or  in  quest  of  a  lover ;  he  would 
hardly  straighten  himself  up  and  walk 
with  a  brisker  step  at  the  sight  of  her ; 
hardly  put  the  squint-glasses  on  his  nose  ; 
hardly  pull  out  his  chronometer,  or  even 
twaddle  his  walking-stick  against  his  leg. 
Thus  could  she  loiter  there,  as  others  often 
did,  and  scarce  a  person  noticed  it.  The 
excitement  in  Washington  at  this  time 
was  very  great ;  the  rebels  had  made  con- 
stant threats  to  take  the  city,  and  many 
of  the  residents  of  the  place  apprehended 
serious  trouble.  Many  foreigners  were  in 
the  city,  and  inasmuch  as  they  were  never 
accustomed  to  see  young  ladies  unattended 
in  the  streets,  they  could  not  now,  and  be- 
lieve them  to  be  as  chaste  and  holy  as 
angels.  American  young  ladies  do  not 
like  to  have  fops  turn  their  squint-glasses 
full  in  their  faces  at  every  corner.  They 
are  little  rebels  against  such  impertinence. 
They  are  not  ignorant  of  the  motives  of 
such  men,  and  know  how  to  judge  them. 
And  this  is  the  chief  reason  that  ladies 
ceased  to  promenade  alone.  The  prospect 
of  war  had  brought  "  men  on  leave  "  from 
foreign  navies  and  armies,  and  their  con- 
ceptions of  America,  formed  on  the  basis 
of  their  own  countries,  had  polluted  the 
social  air.  Many  young  ladies  would  not 
call  on  their  friends,  unless  attended  by 
one  or  two  companions.  So,  when  cut 
short  the  old  way,  they  must  seek  exer- 
cise by  some  other.  Thus  it  was  our  gen- 
tle Ann  took  relief  on  many  an  afternoon 
on  the  outer  porch.  Vickey  had  been  for 
a  good  while  engaged  in  fitting  up  her 
aunt  for  fashionable  life,  and  was  neces- 
sarily absent  much  of  the  time.  Accord- 
ing to  the  clerk's  story,  Vickey  fully  be- 
lieved the  Judge  would  marry  the  old 
maid ;  but  the  clerk  had  cautioned  the 
Edge  family  to  keep  it  an  entire  secret 
from  Ann,  lest  the  latter  should  break  off 
the  match  ;  for  the  clerk  knew  that,  how- 
ever eccentric  the  Judge  was,  yet  his  niece 


would  not  tolerate  any  advantage  to  be 
taken  of  him.  She  loved  him  dearly. 
She  was  without  any  other  near  relative ; 
and  he  had  ever  been  with  her  and  watch- 
ed over  her.  She  was  his  only  sister's 
child,  bequeathed  to  him  as  the  last  of 
the  Underbill  children.  The  Judge  claim- 
ed to  be  descended  from  persons  of  the 
highest  quality,  and  he  ever  esteemed  his 
neice  as  of  a  superior  race.  He  had  pro- 
vided her  the  best  teachers ;  he  had  taken 
her  constantly  into  the  very  best  society. 
Of  course,  he  petted  her ;  he  had  made 
her  his  ruler ;  she  was  his  guiding  angel. 
She  was  mistress  of  Loudon  Heights. 
Whatever  was  required  by  her,  was  fur- 
nished at  once.  Yet  she  was  not  spoiled. 
She  had  good,  sound  sense.  She  knew 
her  uncle's  eccentricities,  his  egotism,  and 
his  boasting,  but  she  never  mentioned 
them,  or,  if  so,  only  to  please  him.  She 
never  found  fault,  never  complained  ;  but 
she  pleased  him  till  he  made  himself  as 
her  child,  yet  she  commanded  not — for 
such  is  woman's  chiefest  power.  Nor 
had  she  stateliness  nor  much  to  awe  with 
at  first  beholding ;  but  more  by  mirth 
and  backwardness  calling  out  all  that  is 
noble  in  man  in  her  behalf;  for  what 
man,  though  he  crush  the  blooming  this- 
tle, would  not  fondly  hold  the  violet  and 
therewith  join  his  heavenly  converse  ? 
Nor  was  she  silent,  nor  pleading  with 
pretended  faintness  of  voice ;  but  frolic- 
some with  due  demeanor,  and  ever  at  a 
game  of  harmless  mischief,  as  makes  man 
ever  remember  and  treasure  each  passing 
moment.  Nor  ventured  she  her  wit  on 
persons,  nor  passed  a  pun  that  ever  pain- 
ed another ;  only  on  things  did  her  wit 
and  humor  tell.  And  such  decorum  had 
she  when  you  spake  your  sorrows,  she 
seemed  to  pray  to  Heaven  in  your  behalf; 
though  mostly  is  she  described  as  a  merry, 
good-hearted  girl  and  everybody's  favorite. 
Every  one  who  knew  her  was  kind  to  the 
Judge,  for  none  would  do  aught  to  grieve 
her.  She  was  likely  to  become  heir  to  her 
uncle's  estate,  and  of  course  had  many  in- 
quiring friends.  Lovers  had  been  after 
her  since  she  was  a  child,  and,  as  in  her 
childhood  she  had  valued  them,  so  now 
the  serious  part  thereof  seemed  not  to 
disturb  her.  There  had  been  acquaint- 
ances with  whom  she  played  in  infancy ; 
with  whom  she  danced  and  walked  now 
in  her  youth.  One  of  those  was  a  young 
man  by  the  name  of  Perkins.  The  Judge 
had  cautioned  her  three  years  before  that 
Perkins  was  a  fast  young  man,  and  so  she 
knew  it  and  was  cautious.  They  had  been 
much  together  when  little  children,  and 
she  knew  that  he  was  a  brave,  adventur- 


94 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


cms  person.  Now  it  so  turned  out  that, 
when  this  boy  grew  up  to  the  size  of  a 
man,  he  became  a  gambler  and  a  poli- 
tician, being  a  wealthy  man's  son,  and 
not  provided  with  any  trade  or  profes- 
sion. It  was  said  he  came  to  Washington 
as  a  lobby-man — that  is,  to  help  at  outside 
pressure  to  get  bills  through  Congress ; 
that  he  was  paid  for  such  services  by 
large  contractors  and  by  railroad  com- 
panies. Be  that  as  it  may,  he  was  often 
without  money,  though  his  father  always 
provided  him  well.  Now  it  is  a  principle 
in  society,  long  established,  that  such  men 
are  always  ready  to  marry  any  sort  of  wo- 
man for  money,  and  especially  if  she  be 
young  and  handsome.  This  man — if  a 
person  of  twenty -one  years  be  a  man — 
had  proposed  marriage  to  Ann  Underbill 
a  year  since,  and  had  been  rejected.  Yet, 
according  to  his  personal  appearance,  he 
was  an  excellent  match  ;  and  he  would 
also  some  day  inherit  a  fortune  by  his 
own  father.  He  had  not  openly  proposed 
marriage,  nor  had  she  positively  denied 
him.  He  had  merely  ventured  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  she  had  tossed  up  her 
hand.  He  despaired,  because  he  feared  her 
uncle  knew  too  much  about  him,  and  he 
ventured  only  so  far  as  to  satisfy  himself 
that  it  would  be  hopeless ;  though  he 
hoped  still,  and  often  came  near  about 
her,  but  not  to  give  offence,  for  he  was 
an  accomplished  gentleman.  He  had  no- 
ticed her  apparent  attention  to  Wads- 
worth,  and  he  inwardly  resolved— at  least 
it  afterward  seemed  so — that  by  some 
means  or  other  he  would  carry  off  the 
prize. 

Accordingly,  he  watched  her,  and  often 
he  saw  her  promenading  on  the  porch  as 
before  mentioned,  and  then  he  would  ac- 
cidentally, so  seeming,  endeavor  to  come 
there  himself.  Sometimes  he  would  wait 
to  see  if  her  promenading  there  had  any- 
thing to  do  with  Wadsworth.  Once  he 
ventured  to  ask  her  why  she  walked  there. 
She  told  him  there  was  so  much  excite- 
ment in  the  streets,  and  so  many  of  those 
foreign  squint-glasses,  she  could  not  go 
out  so  well  as  before,  and  that  she  loitered 
here  in  consequence.  But  he  believed  her 
not.  An  evil  mind  doubteth  everybody. 
So  he  watched  her  more.  One  evening 
he  observed  her  looking  over  the  banis- 
ter at  a  lady  passing  on  the  sidewalk. 
He  saw  the  latter  toss  a  paper  on  the 
porch,  and  Ann  picked  it  up.  'Twas 
nearly  night.  The  lady,  or  girl  rather, 
who  threw  up  the  paper  was  veiled,  and 
quickly  disappeared.  Ann  turned  the 
paper  toward  the  light,  and  read  it.  Her 
hands    fell ;    she    was    astonished.      She 


looked  over  the  side ;  the  person  was 
gone.  Again  she  read  the  paper,  and 
now  pressed  her  hand  on  her  forehead. 
Perkins  was  puzzled,  and  determined  to 
await  the  result.  In  a  moment,  however, 
she  was  gone.  He  sought  her,  but  was 
told  she  had  gone  to  her  room.  Still  he 
doubted,  and  lingered  near.  And,  for- 
tunately for  him,  Mr.  Edge  came  in.  He 
had  had  much  to  do  for  Edge;  Edge 
used  him  as  a  pump-handle,  in  Congress. 
Judge  Francis  Underbill  was  a  fine  gentle- 
man— very  fine  for  women  ;  but,  in  Edge's 
eyes,  he  was  nothing  for  business.  Edge 
was  smart.  He  could  soon  find  out  his 
man,  and  he  liked  those  best  who  would 
buy  and  sell.  Perkins  suited  him  exactly, 
because  Perkins  would  sell  his  word,  his 
honor,  his  friend,  or  anything  else,  to  the 
highest  bidder.  So  these  two  cronies  sat 
to  talk,  but  sat  where  Perkins  could  ob- 
serve. Long  they  waited  there ;  talked 
over  all  the  stocks ;  all  the  railroads,  the 
canals,  steamships,  steamboats,  etc.,  etc., 
peculiar  to  politicians  and  stock  brokers. 
At  once,  however,  Perkins  starts,  excuses 
himself,  and  so  Edge  goes  away.  This 
was  Perkins'  time.  Ann  came  down ; 
looked  at  her  watch ;  hesitated  a  mo- 
ment, and  then  went  out  on  the  porch. 
It  was  quite  dark.  No  one  else  was 
there,  Perkins  mistrusted.  Soon,  from 
the  lower  steps,  a  lady  came  up,  and,  at 
near  approach  to  Ann,  halted,  and  entered 
into  conversation.  No  one  else  heard 
them,  only  Perkins — suspicious  man  ! — 
who  had  slipped  beneath  the  curtains, 
and  was  listening  to  catch  the  words. 
Oh,  villainous  man,  eaves-dropper  to  such 
tender  ones !  Suspicious  mortal !  A.  hush, 
a  caution  !  He  heard  the  words,  "  Starved 
— lost — sister — must  die  !  "  But  he  heard 
no  more.  This  was  enough.  Sharp  man, 
he  knew  she  must  be  one  of  the  runaway 
slaves. 

Now  stealthily  Ann  and  the  fugitive 
entered  the  hotel  and  passed  from  view. 
A  paper  fell  as  they  passed  the  door,  and 
Perkins  eagerly  sought  and  seized  it.  Now 
to  the  light,  and  thus  he  read  : 

"  Dear  stranger  ;  I  am  almost  starved.  I  am  young, 
like  you,  but  1  am  flying  for  life  and  liberty.  You 
look  so  swet  t,  I  know  you  will  befriend  me.  Please, 
when  it  is  dark,  bring'me  some  bread  to  this  porch, 
and  throw  it  me.    God  bless  you  I  Kate." 

Perkins  knew  it  all.  Three  hundred 
dollars  were  ready  to  be  picked  up,  and 
he  resolved  to  do  it.  On  went  his  hat, 
and  off  he  started ;  but  ere  he  reached 
Russel's  house  he  thought  of  the  other 
fugitive,  the  sister  for  five  hundred  dol- 
lars. To  make  the  greater  sum  certain, 
he  resolved  to  wait  a  lew  days,  believing 


LOVE  AND  WAE  IN   1860. 


95 


that  the  other  fugitive  would  come  to  this 
one.  Here  now  became  his  special  watch, 
and  he  was  often  seen  loitering  round  the 
hotel  for  hours,  ay,  and  for  days. 

Ann  was  much  affected  by  the  tale  that 
Kate  told  her,  and  became  more  secluded 
and  less  mirthful.  The  fugitive  she  kept 
in  a  secret  room  nearly  all  the  time,  only 
at  early  morn  or  in  the  evening  late  did 
she  permit  her  to  go  out.  She  had  re- 
solved that,  as  soon  as  Kate  found  her 
sister,  she  would  herself  conduct  them 
safely  off  to  Canada.  After  a  few  days 
had  passed,  however,  they  both  began  to 
believe  that  the  fugitive  Lizzie  had  gone 
ahead.  Ann  applied  to  the  Judge  for 
money,  and  of  course  he  gave  it  her. 
She  had  only  to  mature  some  plan  of' 
action,  and  to  set  it  on  foot.  The  two 
girls  often  weighed  the  matter  together, 
and  as  often  formed  some  new  plan  of 
reaching  Canada.  Finally,  though,  they 
fixed  upon  a  time — the  evening  train  of 
a  certain  day.  But  how  to  travel  to  ex- 
cite no  suspicion,  that  was  the  matter, 
and  thus  was  their  woman's  invention 
planned.  They  were  to  travel  as  moth- 
ers. But,  not  having  babies,  they  resolved 
to  get  two  monstrous  dolls,  and  have  them 
dressed  in  the  finest  embroidery,  with  long 
trails  ;  to  keep  them  muffled  up,  as  if  very 
solicitous  of  the  little  dears'  welfare.  Of 
course,  conductors  and  private  detectives 
would  treat  them  kindly.  Accordingly, 
the  dolls  were  purchased,  and  Kate  entered 
upon  the  work  of  adorning  them.  Two 
whole  days  and  nights  they  provided  the 
things ;  sometimes  so  merrily  congratu- 
lating themselves  on  the  surety  of  their 
enterprise.  At  last  the  affairs  were  all 
completed  ;  they  had  only  to  wait  for 
the  night  to  come.  But  lo  !  foolish  girls, 
vain  hopes  !  The  Old  Boy  had  his  snares 
around  you  !  He  had  a  shrewd  instru- 
ment watching  over  you,  and  that  was 
Perkins.  He  despaired  of  the  other  fugi- 
tive coming,  and  he  resolved  to  make  good 
the  first.  On  a  fair  morning  he  sent  the 
marshal,  and  Kate  was  taken  to  the  Quar- 
ters. Ann  was  nearly  distracted.  The 
toilet  was  there,  and  so  were  the  dolls ; 
but  gone  was  the  gentle  youth  with  whom 
she  had  longed  to  fly.  This  was  her  day 
of  weeping,  but  not  of  despair.  She  saw 
Perkins  when  the  capture  was  made,  but 
f  apposed  him  innocent.  On  the  afternoon 
<  f  the  same  day  she  saw  him  again  at  the 
iotel,  and  she  resolved  to  bribe  him  to  get 
the  fugitive's  escape.  Accordingly,  she 
placed  herself  on  the  outer  porch,  and 
waited  till  he  came  up.  He  was  every 
inch  a  gentleman  in  appearance  and  style, 
and,  after  saluting  her,  he  hoped  she  had 


recovered  from  the  fright  in  the  morn- 
ing. 

"  Indeed  I  have  not,"  said  she,  "  and  I 
fear  I  never  shall.  The  awe  of  that  mo- 
ment, and  the  contemplated  horrors  await- 
ing that  poor  girl,  have  sent  a  chill  to  me 
that  will  never,  never  cease." 

"  Oh,  I  do  think  it  was  dreadful,"  said 
he. 

"  And  yet  you  opposed  it  not  ? "  said 
she. 

"  I  dared  not ;  'twould  have  sent  me 
up  for  three  years.  Indeed,  I  abhor  such 
things ;  but  I  must  preserve  my  own 
liberty  first,  and  then  to  others  give  it." 

"  Had  you  known  that  girl,  and  the  life 
that  awaits  her,  you  would  have  saved 
her." 

"  I  would  without  knowing  her,  if  I 
could.  But  the  law  must  be  carried  out, 
and,  of  course,  there  are  such  as  would 
always,  for  the  reward  of  three  hundred 
dollars,  betray  a  fugitive.  But  as  you 
have  spoken  of  her  and  of  the  life  that 
awaits  her,  I  should  be  pleased  to  learn 
it  myself  from  one  who  would  be  pleased 
to  tell  it.  Perhaps  I  might  yet  meliorate 
her  condition." 

"  No  one  would  be  pleased  to  tell  it. 
No  one  can  meliorate  her  condition. 
Money  is  of  little  value,  and  brave  hearts 
are  scarce.  Her  owner  will  not  sell  her, 
or  I  could  save  her.  She  is  iu  chains, 
and  you  can  do  her  no  good." 

"  Now,  that  is  strange,  you  tell  me  this. 
Do  you  remember  ever  a  thing  I  tried,  and 
failed  in  ?  Do  you  know  a  thing  that 
money  cannot  get  ?  Now,  I  will  wager 
you  to  the  value  of  a  fine  bonnet  that  I 
can  get  that  girl's  chains  off  before  to- 
morrow morning's  sun  for  one  hundred 
dollars." 

"  How  ? " 

"  Will  you  wager  ?  " 

"  I  will  ;  and  I  will  furnish  the  money." 

"  Done  !  "  said  he  ;  and  "  Done  !  "  said 
she. 

Now,  it  followed  that  she  told  him  all 
she  knew  about  the  fugitive,  and  of  their 
plan  to  escape  to  Canada,  and  he  seemed 
much  affected  by  it,  often  exclaiming, 
"  Oh,  had  I  known  this !  Oh,  what 
monsters  some  men  are  !  Poor,  poor  girl ! 
But  now,  hark  you  !  you  shall  yet  carry 
out  your  purpose.  To-morrow  morning 
shall  you  start  for  Canada.  I  ask  no 
favors ;  I  want  no  money.  It  is  a  most 
holy  cause,  and  highly  honorable." 

She  believed  him  ;  thought  he  had  still 
a  noble  nature,  and  she  would  fain  clap 
her  hands  with  joy  at  the  coming  pros- 
pect. He  told  her  to  hold  herself  in 
readiness  on  the  following  morning,  be- 


96 


TflE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;   OR, 


fore  the  break  of  clay,  and  then  he  left 
her.  She  -was  much  pleased ;  was  never 
so  happy  before.  Thus  did  she  while 
away  the  time ;  having  worked  herself 
up  to  such  a  nervous  pitch  about  it  she 
had  no  rest.  Poor  girl,  Low  simple  and 
childlike  in  human  discernment !  Thou 
hast  been  talking  with  a  devil.  The  old 
maid  with  the  plumpers,  whom  thou 
wouldst  laugh  at,  were  it  not  for  thy 
better  manners,  is  an  angel.  She  rises 
at  the  early  cock-crowing  of  the  morn- 
ing, because,  forsooth,  she  never  learned 
the  fashions.  She  walks  before  the  break 
of  day  to  taste  the  morning  air.  But  hold 
ye  yet  !  the  future  is  known  to  no  mortal. 
There  is  a  purpose  in  all  the  habits  of  man 
that  safely  leads  conception  on  to  their  holy 
origin. 

Perkins  resolved  to  use  the  other  hun- 
dred dollars  as  a  bribe,  and  then  to  make 
a  stronger  and  more  lasting  hold  upon 
gentle  Ann.  To  get  her  captured  with 
the  fugitive,  as  herself  a  fugitive,  and  then 
to  have 

The  writer  of  this  great  history  is 
obliged  to  apologize  for  this  abrupt  ter- 
mination to  Jenkins'  notes  on  this  sub- 
ject. And  he  will  also  apologize  for  what 
is  coming  immediately  after,  to  wit : 

Ere  the  morning  came,  gentle  Ann  arose 
and  left  the  Jackson  House.  In  her  arms 
were  the  dolls,  and  she  had  thick  shawls 
over  them.  She  was  too  impatient  to  wait 
for  Perkins,  and  so  repaired  to  the  Quar- 
ters, or  near  there,  and  watched  and  wait- 
ed. Two  men,  disguised,  opened  the  door, 
and  out  came  the  fugitive.  Ann  followed, 
fearing  at  first,  and  ever  keeping  in  the 
rear.  When  they  had  walked  so  she  could 
see  them  fairly,  so  she  could  make  sure 
they  were  the  right  persons,  they  halted, 
having  met  a  third  man  WTapped  in  a 
cloak.  To  him  the  slave  was  confided, 
and  the  other  two  started,  of  course  for 
the  Jackson  House.  Ann  would  have 
called  them,  but  she  was  too  much  fright- 
ened, and  so  stood  there.  In  a  little  while 
there  was  a  loud  report.  The  guard  ran 
away,  but  the  slave  stood  firm.  Then 
Ann  came  up  and  greeted  her,  each  well- 
nigh  overcome  at  so  unexpected  a  meet- 
ing. Thence  they  flew  for  the  railway 
station  fast  as  possible,  or  at  least  fast  as 
two  young  women  with  very  young  babies 
could.  What  was  their  surprise,  however, 
ere  they  had  gone  far,  to  be  accosted  by  a 
man  in  deep  disguise,  and  demanded  to 
halt.  "  I  know  you  !  "  he  said  ;  "  you  are 
the  fugitives,  Lizzie  and  Kate.  Here,  you 
wretches,  I  will  cowhide  you  ? "   and  he 


seized  them,  and  was  beginning  to  handle 
them  roughly,  when  lo!  the  simple  old 
maid  came  near,  being  even  before  day- 
light out  to  take  her  morning  walk. 
"  What  on  earth's  the  matter?"  said  she. 
"  Here,  police  !  soldiers !  watchmen !  "  an<  i 
she  screamed  as  if  her  throat  were  of  braa& 
The  villain  ran  off.  But  he  had  so  fright- 
ened the  poor  girls,  and  had  withal  thrown 
away  their  dolls,  that  they  feared  to  go  to 
the  railway  station.  Not  knowing  what 
to  do,  however,  they  ran,  and  the  old 
maid  then  got  frightened,  and  she  ran 
too.  But  she  was  so  slow  she  soon  lost 
sight  of  the  others.  Two  men  then  came, 
and,  overtaking  her,  asked  for  the  two 
girls,  assuring  her  that  they  were  friends. 
She  told  them  the  direction,  and  they 
pursued.  The  old  maid  then  went  home, 
and  told  what  she  had  seen,  assuring 
everybody  that  she  would  never  take 
another  walk  at  so  early  an  hour  in  the 
morning.  The  girls  ran  toward  the  Po- 
tomac, anon  beholding  their  pursuers  and 
again  avoiding  them.  In  a  short  time  they 
neared  the  river  bank,  and  coming  to  a 
rickety  old  boat,  they  just  succeeded  in 
getting  into  it  and  shoving  off  from  shore, 
when  the  men,  to  them  unknowm,  came 
up.  Ann  at  once  resolved  to  cross  the 
river,  she  herself  pulling  on  the  oars, 
with  a  full  determination  to  get  on  the 
first  train  for  some  indirect  route  to  Can- 
ada. She  never  knew  before  how  strong 
she  was,  or  what  resolution  a  little  fear 
could  give  her.  But  this  was  in  fact  a 
feat  of  much  magnitude,  and  must  result 
in  nothing  short  of  failure. 

With  what  triumphant  feelings  they 
shot  out  upon  the  river.  The  discom- 
fited pursuers  were  amazed.  No  other 
boat  was  there,  and  the  girls  felt  so  com- 
pletely master  of  the  attempt  that  they 
would  have  shouted  to  them  in  derision 
had  not  their  lives  been  in  peril  by  the 
unsafe  vessel  they  were  in.  But  their  joy 
was  soon  brought  to  a  close.  Some  idle 
sailors  were  passing,  and  they  saw  and 
heard  their  pursuers  beckon  to  them. 
The  girls  put  forth  all  their  power,  for 
they  next  beheld  approaching  from  the 
shore  the  sailors'  boat,  with  the  two  men 
in  it..  The  sight  appalled  them.  The 
distance  to  be  rowed  was  yet  very  great, 
and  all  odds  were  against  them.  Not 
strength,  but  weakness,  came  over  them, 
though  they  pulled  with  all  their  might. 
It  was  now  sunrise,  and  they  were  exactly 
between  their  pursuers  and  the  sun.  Again 
they  heard  another  explosion,  or  a  not  far- 
off  cannon.  Kate  felt  the  awful  danger  to 
her,  and  she  now  seized  the  oars  and  took 
them  from  Ann,  who  was  astonished  how 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


97 


strong  the  slave  was.     Their   frail    boat 
took  a  new  start.     Hope  again  lived,  and 
for  half  an  hour  they  sped  forward  with- 
out doubt.     But  then  uncertainty  revived. 
The  boat  of  the  stalwart  men  came  after 
them  like  a  steamer,  casting  the  shining 
water   in   flaming   wings   on   either   side. 
The  tears  involuntarily  flooded  the  eyes 
of  the  poor  girls  as  the  dread  fate  began 
to  appear.     Nearer  came  the  long-desired 
shore,  but  still  nearer  the  never-faltering 
boat  behind.     Soon  they  hailed  the  girls, 
who  made  no  answer.     They  were  then 
near  the  shore,  but  the  impossible  could 
not  be.     Kate  saw  it,  and  she  dropped 
oars.      "  Oh,  my  God  !    my   God  !  "    said 
she  ;  "  I  am  forever  doomed  !     You  see — 
you  see,  they  are  here  !     Now  I  will  drown 
myself.     I  will  never  be  taken  alive,  so 
help  me  Heaven  ! "     "  Hold  !  hold ! "  said 
Ann ;  "  Heaven  save  her ! "  and  she  caught 
hold  of  her,  but  she  jerked  loose,  exclaim- 
ing, "  No,  never  !    Let  go ;  I'll  die !    Here ! 
if  "ever  you  find  my  lone  sister,  give  her 
this  pin  ;  say  it  was  from  Kate,  even  while 
the  perils  of  slavery  were  stripped  of  every 
hope,  and  the  darkest  crimes  of  licentious 
man  found  refuge  in  American  law.     Tell 
her  that  my  constant  prayers  to  heaven  are 
but  the  folly  of  vain  hopes  ;  but  yet  with- 
in my  breast  is  a  natural  flame  that  burns 
forever  chaste  and  pure,  and  so  I  die  ! " 
Ann  was  then  holding  her,  but  the  other 
broke  loose,  being  almost  frantic  and  wild. 
Then,  standing  up,  she  leaped  overboard, 
but  did  not  sink  at  once.    With  her  mouth 
full  of   water,   she  shouted,  "  God  bless 
you ! "    and  then   she  went  down.     But 
she  could  not  sink  well.     Ann  was  fright- 
ened.    Both  men  saw  her ;  they  were  at 
once  alongside.     One  of  them,  the  smaller 
of  the  two,  caught  her  dress,  and  they 
pulled  her  into  their  boat.     This  was  the 
first  time  Ann  looked  at  their  faces  ;  both 
were  strangers.     One  of  them  said,  "  Now 
for  the  other  !  "  and  he  seized  Ann's  boat. 
The  girls  were  then  only  the  breadth  of  a 
street  from  the  other  shore.     Ann  did  not 
know  if  Kate  was  alive  or  dead,  but  ask- 
ed, and  one  of  the  men  said,  "  Stop  your 
mouth,  girl,  or  I'll  cowhide  you  ! "     She 
was  frightened.     He  did  not  say  she  was 
a  fugitive  till  they  got  ashore  on  the  other 
side,  and  they  would  not  let  her  speak. 
The  men  took  a  tie  rope  off  the  boat,  and 
tied  them  together.     After  about  ten  min- 
utes Kate  was  able  to  walk,  but  she  looked 
more  like  one  dead  than  alive.     The  men 
then  ordered  the  girls  to  march.     Their 
hands  were  fastened  behind  their  backs. 
The  men  swore  fearfully,  and,  if  Ann  at- 
tempted to   speak,   they   beat  her.      She 
knew  they  mistook  her  for  a  slave,  but 
7 


she  had  no  way  to  prove  herself,  and  was 
crying ;  but  Kate  did  not  cry.     One  of 
the  men  said  that,  before  six  months,  they 
would  wallop  such  wenches  in  the  streets 
of  New  York  and  Boston.    The  other  said, 
"  It  takes  us  to  do  it !     When  we  strike 
out,  the  world  will  go  with  us.     The  Lon- 
don Times  and  Post,  and  all  the  nobility, 
will  be  with  us."     And  then  they  would 
say,  "  Trot  along  there,  runaway  !     You'll 
get  it  good  when   you  get  home  !  "  but 
they  used  words  that  cannot  be  mention- 
ed, though  they  were  very  merry.     Ann 
would   say,  "  I   am  no  slave ;  I  am  Miss 
Underhill^  of  Loudon  Heights ; "  but  they 
said,  "  Hush  up,  wench  !  we've  heard  that 
sort  of  stuff  before  ;  "  and  then  they  kicked 
her.     She  soon  became  quite  faint,  but  ex- 
pected  every  moment    something   would 
turn  up  to   release  her.     After  a  while 
they  came  to   a  road,  and   some  people 
passed  them.     Ann  screamed  out  to  them, 
and  told  them  who  she  was,  but  got  se- 
verely bruised  for  it.    One  of  the  men  said, 
if  she  opened  her  mouth  again,  he  would 
put  the  gags  on  her.    This  was  before  they 
came  to  the  cabin.     The  cabin  is  about 
half  a  mile,  perhaps  more.     The  cabin  is 
a  railway  station,  and  is  small,  with  only 
one  door  and  one  window,  and  a  bench 
in   front.      They   were    compelled  to  sit 
here,   but  hardly  had  taken   seat,  when 
they  heard  a  yell  near  by,  and,  on  look- 
ing over  the  way,  saw  a  crowd  of  a  dozen 
men  hanging  a  man  to  a  tree.     One  of  the 
captors  said,  "  There  goes  another  Aboli- 
tionist !  "  and  he  ended  with  an  oath.     A 
train  of  cars  then  came  alongside,  and 
halted.     The  girls  were  ordered   aboard. 
Again  Ann  protested  against  her  capture, 
and  assured  them  of  her  uame ;  but  they 
would  not  hear  her.     "  I  can  prove  my- 
self," said  she  ;  "  I  have  money.     In  my 
pocket  is  a  purse  of  six  hundred  dollars." 
The  men  all  laughed,  and  one  of  them 
put  his  hand  in  her  pocket  and  took  the 
money,  saying,  "  I  know,  now,  we're  right. 
The  elder  of  the   fugitives  had  money. 
This  is  the  person.     Not  another  word 

now,  you !  "  and  he  thrust  them  into 

the  cars,  swearing  at  them  all  the  time. 
He  got  into  the  cars  also,  but  his  com- 
panion did  not  go  with  the  train.  Kate 
was  very  ill,  even  as  if  she  might  die. 
Dark  purple  sat  in  round  her  eyes,  and 
she  had  lost  her  senses,  for  she  spoke  not, 
and  hardly  ever  looked  at  any  one.  The 
train  then  started,  but  the  girls  knew  not 
where  they  were  going.  They  were  taken, 
however,  to  Montgomery,  South  Carolina, 
and  put  in  the  Quarters  there.  Word 
was  then  sent  to  Russel  to  come  on  and 
pay  charges  and  take  his  slaves ;  but  he 


98 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER. 


was  two  days  coming.  In  the  meantime 
the  girls  were  kept  locked  up,  and  no  one 
whatever,  save  a  simple  old  negress,  ever 
saw  them.  There  was  great  excitement 
in  Montgomery  at  this  time.  Secession 
delegates  had  arrived  from  all  parts  of 
the  South,  for  the  purpose  of  electing  a 
President.  Some  of  them  were  continu- 
ally making  stump  speeches ;  some  de- 
claring that  their  President  would  be  for 
the  Southern  States  alone,  but  others  said 
they  were  determined  to  rule  over  the 
whole  country.  They  said  they  would 
give  the  New  England  States  to  England, 
Mexico  to  France,  and  Central  America  to 
Spain.  They  openly  avowed  tbat  Squire 
Larimie  was  already  off  to  Europe  to  carry 
out  these  plans ;  that  they  had  money 
enough  to  buy  up  all  the  foreign  news- 
papers, and  that  in  that  way  they  would 
rule  Europe  itself.  The  people  were  all 
enthusiastic.  Business  of  all  kinds  was 
suspended ;  no  courts  or  tribunals  were 
at  post.  Nearly  every  day  some  one  was 
murdered  for  Abolitionism.  Parties  of 
ten,  twenty,  or  fifty  men  roved  about  in 
quest  of  victims ;  any  one  suspected  of 
opposition  to  slavery  or  secession  was 
seized,  and  marched  with  a  tether  rope 
around  his  neck  to  the  nearest  tree,  and 
there  hanged.  Women  became  infatu- 
ated with  the  excitement.  Seventy  first- 
class  ladies  formed  themselves  into  a 
vigilance  committee,  and  often  paraded 
the  streets  of  Montgomery  in  a  body. 
On  one  occasion  they  were  jeered  at  by 
a  carman,  because  they  interfered  with 
his  horse  and  wagon  by  their  unseemly 
marching.  They  at  once  accused  him  of 
being  an  Abolitionist,  and  surrounded  him. 
With  the  lines  of  the  harness  they  en- 
tangled him,  and  would  have  slain  him 
on  the  spot  but  for  his  agility.  But, 
when  he  broke  loose  and  ran,  a  gentle- 
man shot  him.  The  ball  took  effect  in 
his  neck,  and  he  fell,  and  expired  in  a 
few  minutes.  The  ladies  all  dipped  their 
hands  in  his  blood,  and  swore  they  would 
not  wash  it  away  till  every  Abolitionist 
in  the  country  was  annihilated.  This 
occurred  on  the  very  day  that  Russel 
came  for  his  slaves.  Many  people  in  the 
city  knew  Russel.  He  was  a  large  dealer 
in  slaves,  having  a  plantation  in  Virginia 
for  growing  them,  and  often  visiting  all 
parts  of  the  South  to  sell  them.  He  re- 
paired immediately  to  the  Quarters,  but 
no  sooner  beheld  gentle  Ann,  than  he 
denied  that  she  was  his  slave.  He  did 
not  believe  she  was  a  negro,  but  he  verily 
believed  she  looked  like  the  Abolition 
wretch  that  tried  to  steal  his  slave  Kate. 
He  could  not  let  her  out  of  the  Quarters 


without  an  order  from  the  constable,  and 
the  constable  could  not  do  it  without  a 
voucher  as  to  who  she  was.  They  there- 
fore took  a  leisurely  stroll  to  consider  the 
matter,  and  finally  resolved  to  telegraph 
to  Perkins,  at  Washington,  to  learn  the 
truth  of  the  girl's  story.  In  a  few  min- 
utes they  got  a  reply,  stating  that  they 
were  to  keep  her  confined  till  he  came 
down ;  that  dreadful  suspicions  were 
afloat  about  her.  Already  was  there  such 
vigilance  on  the  cars,  and  so  much  watch- 
ing for  Abolitionists,  that  the  cars  ran  at 
only  half  their  usual  speed.  The  conse- 
quence was,  that  the  poor  girls  had  re- 
mained in  all  seven  days  in  the  Quarters 
when  Perkins  arrived.  The  Quarters 
here  were  in  the  suburbs  of  the  city ;  it 
was  merely  a  large  log  cabin,  without  a 
window,  and  having  only  one  door.  At 
one  extreme  end  were  the  necessary  clos- 
ets, with  water,  etc. ;  but  the  slaves  were 
all  unchained,  being  seven  in  number. 
There  were  five  different  open  spaces  be- 
tween the  logs,  about  the  size  of  a  man's 
arm,  which  answered  for  windows.  At 
one  side  was  a  plentiful  pile  of  hay  to 
sleep  on,  but  there  was  no  other  bedding. 
The  negress  kept  to  feed  them  passed  the 
food  through  the  open  spaces  mentioned. 
Most  of  the  time  the  slaves  sat  or  lay  on 
the  hay,  indifferent  to  any  casual  observer 
who  might  chance  to  be  curious  enough 
to  look  through  the  cracks  to  see  them. 
When  Perkins  came  to  look  in,  gentle  Ann 
was  seated  on  the  hay,  beside  the  others. 
She  was  pale  and  silent,  her  head  resting 
against  the  rude  logs,  and  her  feet  drawn 
up  underneath  her.  She  had  been  stripped 
of  her  hoops,  and  her  clothes  were  in  evil 
trim  ;  her  golden  ringlets  were  fizzled  and 
faded,  and  frowning  wrinkles  had  already 
seared  her  fair  forehead.  She  was  not 
asleep,  but  fixedly  gazing  aside,  and  see- 
ing nothing,  nor  heedful  of  the  noise  near 
the  door;  but  much  swollen  were  her 
eyes,  and  her  fair  bosom  still  heaved  with 
the  latent  fire  of  noble  blood.  Beside  her 
lay  the  fugitive,  Kate,  sound  asleep.  She 
had  not  changed  since  first  her  capture, 
save  that  she  had  nearly  recovered  her 
health.  Long  abuse  had  hardened  her. 
Now,  when  Perkins  came  up  and  looked 
in  the  Quarters,  and  beheld  the  ruin  he 
had  purposely  made,  he  fancied  the  girl 
before  him  would  never  detect  the  man- 
ner of  his  mischief,  and  that,  by  pretend- 
ing to  be  her  rescuer,  he  would  be  sure 
to  get  her  acknowledgment  in  marriage. 
So,  after  he  had  looked  in  a  moment,  he 
said, 

"  Oh,   Miss  Underhill !   what  sad  mis- 
fortune is  this  ? "     She  started,  and  turned 


100 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  :   OR. 


toward  him.  "Is  it  possible,"  be  con- 
tinued, '"  that  this  sad  late  lias  ionic  upon 
yon  '.  " 

"Oh,  Mr.  Perkins,  I  thank  God  that 
you  are  here,"  said  die.  springing  up,  and 
running  to  him.  "  It  seemed  no  one  would 
ever  come,  and  I  am  almost  dead.  Qi  i  me 
out  of  this!  Oh,  I  cannot  live!  What 
horrors  I  have  undergone  I "  an  1  she  made 
such  eccentric  ejaculation-,  tiiat  he  almost 
lcared  she  was  Losing  her  wits,  wringing 
her  hands  all  the  while,  and  crying  at  a 
furious  rate.  As  SOOn  a-  die  gave  him  an 
opportunity,  he  replied  very  kindly  to  her. 

"Oh,  that  I  could  have  had  your  pains 
and  bruises  myself!"  said  he.  "Ever 
since  last  I  saw  you,  I  have  been  well-nigh 
distracted  about  you.  Not  a  day,  not  an 
hour,  not  a  minute  have  I  ceased  to  seek 
tor  you.  Why  did  you  not  await  at  the 
Jackson  House  till  I  called  for  you  8  And 
yet  I  have  heaped  constant  abuse  on  my- 
self for  letting  you  think  of  such  an  under- 
taking in  the  first  place.  Oh,  that  I  had 
told  you  to  stay  at  home,  and  I  had  taken 
the  fugitive  to  Canada  myself!  Can  you 
ever  forgive  such  great  neglect  ?  Oh,  I 
have  died  a  thousand  deaths!"  and  he, 
too,  rubbed  hard  upon  his  eyes. 

"Oh,  sir,  grieve  not!"  said  she;  "I 
know  it  was  all  my  fault.  You  are  a  most 
kind  and  noble  man.  I  can  never  repay 
you  for  coming  so  far  to  rescue  me  from 
this  cruel  fate.  Oil,  I  am  so  thankful  that 
you  have  come  !  Go,  please,  at  once,  to 
the  constable,  and  get  me  out.  May 
Heaven  aid  me  to  repay  you  !  " 

Again  he  made  protestations  of  his  own 
suffering  in  her  behalf;  and  then,  duly  as- 
suring her  that  he  would  soon  get  her  out, 
he  took  his  leave.  All  this  while  Kate  lay 
asleep,  and  Ann  knew  not  whether  to 
awaken  her  or  not,  thinking  it  would 
perhaps  be  better  to  go  away  silently, 
than  to  take  a  farewell  of  one  who  was 
doomed  to  slavery  forever — of  one  whom 
she  would  never  see  more,  and  -whom  she 
could  never  benefit.  Kate  was  yet  ill 
from  the  effects  of  attempted  drowning, 
and  now  seemed  more  of  a  resigned, 
heart-broken  Christian,  fit  to  be  taken  to 
a  bed  of  death,  than  a  slave  to  work  in 
the  cotton  fields.  But  such  could  not 
be  ;  for,  even  while  gentle  Ann  gazed  on 
the  pallid,  sleeping  slave,  the  voice  of  the 
Christian  white  man  was  heard  in  the 
street',  exu.tant  singing, 

'•  Away  down  South  in  the  land  of  cotton, 
Cinnamon  seeds  ami  sandy  bottom,  etc.,  etc." 

Perkins  soon  returned,  and  in  much 
haste  informed  her  that  the  story  was 
spread  abroad  that  she  was  an  Abolition- 
ist, and  tli at  the  constable  had  kept  her 


there  fir  safety,  to  herself;  that  every- 
body concerne  I  believed  she  would  Lose 
her  life  it  taken  out  publicly  ;  that  she 
should  have  some  one  to  vouch  for  her 
and  take  cure  of  her;  that  as  for  himself, 
he  was  engaged  in  affairs  of  Mate,  and 
diil  not  wish  to  compromise  himself;  bat 
that,  it  she  had  reliable  friends  in  Wash- 
ington, he  would  send  word  for  them  to 
come  after  her.  While  he  spake  thus  -In 
was  almost   frozen  with   his  words,  for  he 

kept  continually  affecting  to  weep. 

"Indeed,  it  seems  to  me,"  she  at  last 
ventured  in  a  pleading  manner,  "that  you 
can  get  me  out,  if  you  will  try  as  hard  for 
me  as  I  would  for  another  situated  as  1 
am." 

"You  tried  to  save  Kate,"  said  he, 
"  but  what  have  you  gained  by  it  ,'  Shall 
I  entangle  myself  to  save  you,  and  be 
thereby  brought,  with  yourself,  to  an  un- 
timely end  1  Nay,  say  that  you  demand 
this  risk  of  me,  and  I  will  venture  on  it. 
Yet,  in  all  candor,  I  ask,  why  I  shall  be 
put  upon  such  an  ordeal,  when  there  are 
others  with  whom  you  would  so  much 
prefer  to  hazard  the  fate?  Could  I  take 
your  place,  and  send  you  safely  to  Wash- 
ington, I  would  most  gladly  do  it.  But. 
we  must  not  put  aside  our  judgment  ;  we 
know  the  streets  are  all  in  riot;  what  shall 
we  do?" 

"Oh,  I  know  not.  I  do  not  wish  to 
endanger  you.  But  cannot  you  buy  me 
out?  Offer  the  city  here  a  mountain  of 
money — anything — if  the  authorities  will 
only  give  me  safe  conveyance  back  to 
Washington.  Ask  anything,  and  I  will 
give  it." 

"  I  want  no  money,  nor  does  any  one  I 
know  of.  Xor  can  I  hazard  now  what  I 
could  have  before." 

"  I  do  not  understand  !  " 

"  You  grieve  me.  You  blame  me  be- 
cause I  do  not  throw  my  life  away  for 
you,  and,  in  turn  for  the  risk  I  run,  you 
offer  me  money." 

"Oh,  how  much  you  mistake  me  !  Ha  1 
I  a  friend,  nay,  even  an  enemy  in  prison 
thus,  so  wrongly,  T  would  wade  through 
fire  to  open  the  doors.  I  would  make 
even  my  enemy  love  me  for  the  deep  inter- 
est I  took  in  it." 

"  If  I  could  do  that  too,  why,  I  would." 

"  You  are  so  strange  !  " 

"  Must  I  then  explain  ?  Yes,  though 
my  heart  break,  I  will  speak.  "When  I 
was  in  some  show  of  adversity,  and  the 
evil  tongue  of  others  injured  me,  while 
you  were  surrounded  by  vain  flatterers,  I 
was  cancelled  from  my  childhood  dreams. 
Now,  when  the  tide  of  my  fortune  is  at 
its  flood,  when  I  stand  at  the  proper  age 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  18G0. 


101 


of  virtuous  discretion,  and  penitent  for 
the  idles  of  other  days,  you,  and  yourself 
with  a  city  against  you,  must  knock  at 
the  door  of  my  generosity  Alas,  I  can- 
not, cannot  say  more  !  "  and  then  he  wept, 
while  she,  in  much  amazement  and  sorrow, 
looked  on,  trying  to  think  what  to  reply. 

M  I  believe  you  are  truly  noble,"  at  last 
she  timidly  spake,  "  and  that  I  have  been 
too  neglectful.  But  oh,  you  cannot,  must 
not  compromise  me  in  this  evil  plight  ! 
How  can  I  live  till  another  come  for  me  ? 
— and  if  the  communication  should  be 
closed  ?  You  know  I  am  but  a  child  yet 
before  the  law.  I  have  a  guardian  who 
is  master  of  me.  If  I  disobey  him,  I  will 
be  turned  out  on  the  world — with  no- 
thing ;  and,  with  nothing,  I  ask  you  in 
all  candor,  what  would  be  my  attractions 
to  any  man  ?  Now  I  pray  you,  that,  as 
I  regard  you  nobly  for  having  come  so 
far  for  me,  that  in  my  heart  I  feel  that  I 
can  never  repay  your  kindness,  ask  no 
more  of  me  now,  but  give  me  my 
liberty." 

"  If  your  liberty  were  in  my  hand,  I 
would  give  it  you.  But,  as  to  your  at- 
tractions, with  nothing  else  to  aid  you, 
they  are  more  to  me  than  all  the  world 
beside  ;  they  have  usurped  my  every  other 
joy,  and  hold  me  desolate  from  all  things. 
I  know  your  uncle,  and  all  else  you  allude 
to,  and  I  acknowledge  your  wisdom  in 
the  mention  of  it.  But  you  forget  one 
great  affair;  which  is,  that  the  Govern- 
ment of  the  country  is  in  a  transitory 
state,  and  that  now  is  the  founding  of 
something  new,  the  very  tone  of  which 
forbids  that  ever  be  the  name  of  Aboli- 
tion attached  to  my  name.  If  I  go  out 
with  you,  I  am  ruined  in  the  affairs  of 
state  ;  if  I  go  not,  my  fortune  and  name 
are  built  up.  One  way  I  will  win  for 
certain ;  the  other  way  I  may  lose  both." 

"  Why,  then,  have  you  come  so  far  to 
see  me  ?  " 

"  Because  I  loved  you— because  I  wished 
to  state  my  position — because  I  would 
willingly  be  branded  an  Abolitionist,  or 
anything  else,  and  forfeit  all  my  prospects 
in  the  new  government,  for  you." 

Gentle  Ann  held  down  her  head,  the 
large  teardrops  rolling  down  her  cheeks. 
Yet  in  all  her  sadness  and  fear  a  ray  of 
eternal  light  began  to  appear  to  her ;  for 
the  thought  of  being  forced  into  a  prom- 
ise of  marriage  made  her  doubt  his  sin- 
cerity. Summoning  all  her  courage,  she 
at  last  spake  out, 

"  Oh,  sir,  I  beseech  you  that  you  re- 
member my  situation !  I  have  told  you 
I  could  not  be  neglectful  of  your  generos- 
ity if  you  set   me  free.     If  I  should  be, 


why,  then  I  am,  in  cold  ingratitude,  unfit 
so  good  a  man." 

"  Yet  you  make  no  promise  ?  " 

"  Oh,  how  can  I  ?  I  am  free  to  tell 
you,  any  man  of  noble  actions  might  win 
my  admiration.  I  pray  you  that  you  urge 
me  no  more." 

"  What !  and  leave  you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  say  not  so  !  Shall  I,  must  I  stay 
here,  while  you  rove  so  free  ?  " 

"  Too  lightly  you  weigh  your  chance 
of  escape.  It  is  at  the  peril  of  your  life  ; 
and  if  I  go  with  you,  it  is  at  the  peril  of 
mine  also.  The  roads  are  lined  with 
vigilance  committees ;  none  can  pass  or 
repass  without  military  permission.  I  can 
send  for  your  uncle,  but  he  may  never 
reach  this  place  alive.  I  may  conduct 
you  safely  to  Washington  ;  but  shall  not 
rather  he  who  is  to  be  your  husband  run 
the  risk  ?  " 

"  Oh,  sir,  I  can  bear  no  more ! "  said 
gentle  Ann,  and  she  sobbed  bitterly. 

"  Think  not,  dearest,"  he  then  began, 
"  that  I  would  compromise  you,  or  bar 
your  liberty  to  choose.  If  all  my  acts  are 
not  most  noble,  I  would  hold  no  bond 
over  you.  But  I  ask  you  in  all  serious- 
ness, if  I  am  not  right  in  pursuing  the 
object  of  my  love  even  in  desperation  ? 
Can  so  urgent  a  lover  ever  do  a  thing  to 
give  you  one  unhappy  thought  ?  I  have 
already  a  good  commission  in  the  new 
government,  and,  if  you  will  be  my  wife, 
I  am  at  the  portals  of  fame  and  fortune. 
I  tell  you  frankly,  too,  that  I  cannot  act 
on  uncertainties.  You  are  at  liberty  to 
choose  ;  your  uncle  or  some  of  ycur  friends 
can  come  for  you — that  is,  if  they  are  not 
murdered  on  the  way."  Coldly  now  he 
surveyed  the  object  of  his  passion  ;  a  girl 
untutored  to  the  craft  of  gay  men. 

"  You  have  taught  me  to  fear  you,"  she 
faintly  said  in  broken  sobs ;  "  for,  had  you 
sought  only  my  liberty,  it  would  have  been 
a  weighty  argument  in  your  behalf." 

Here  she  halted,  for  she  cried  so  she 
could  not  speak.  He  answered  her  in 
irony: 

"  Then  I  am  feared,  and  my  arguments 
betray  an  evil  design  !  I  hope  you  will 
not  rue  this ;  and  I  hope,  too,  you  may 
be  happy." 

He  then  started  to  walk  away,  and  she 
began  to  despair  of  her  situation,  and  so 
she  called  to  him,  saying, 

"  Oh,  do  not  leave  me  !  Tell  me,  will 
you  not  indeed  do  anything  to  get  me 
liberated  without  I  promise  to  marry 
you  ?  You  know  I  must  have  my  uncle's 
consent." 

"  I  must  have  your  positive  answer," 
said  he,  halting,  and  looking  back  at  her. 


102 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


"  But  I  have  not  myself  to  give  away." 

"  Why  not  ?  You  are  now  mine  ;  I  can 
take  you  to  church  at  once ;  or  I  can — 
turn  yonder  pack  against  you." 

Now,  while  he  spoke,  there  appeared 
in  the  distance  the  female  vigilance  com- 
mittee, together  with  about  one  hundred 
little  boys,  with  drums  and  fifes  playing. 
Ann  knew  who  they  were,  for  the  old 
negress  had  before  told  her  about  them. 

"  One  promise  will  I  make,"  she  re- 
plied, "  that,  if  my  uncle  give  his  con- 
Bent,  you  have  mine." 

"  That  is  no  promise  at  all.  Nor  will 
I  urge  you  more.  I  would  not  marry  one 
who  is  hot  willing  to  it,  and  so  I  take  my 
final  leave." 

"  Oh,  do  not  go,  and  leave  me  here  ! 
Say,  what  would  you  ?   What  shall  I  do  ? " 

"  Now,  indeed,  I  pity  you,  and  I  love 
you  for  your  consistency.  No,  I  will  not 
bind  you  thus.  I  will  set  you  at  liberty, 
and  carry  you  safely  back  to  Washington, 
and  you  shall  there  state  my  conduct  to 
your  uncle ;  and  if  he  decide  against  me, 
I  will  not  murmur,  choose  whom  you 
may." 

"  Why,  now,  that  is  nobly  spoken  !  Oh, 
how  thankful  I  am  !     God  bless  you  !  " 

"  But  hark  you,"  he  replied,  drawing 
again  near  the  doorway,  "  it  is  not  as  easy 
us  walking  in  a  street.  We  must  have 
strategy.  You  are  known  here  as  an 
Abolitionist.  Russel  has  told  the  people 
you  stole  his  slave.  Now,  if  you  are  set 
out  here  alone,  you  will  be  either  murder- 
ed, or  caught  and  locked  up  in  some 
prison  till  the  country  is  made  again 
quiet,  or  you  may  be  incarcerated  all 
your  life.  There  is  only  one  mode  of  es- 
cape ;  I  have  studied  every  plan  whereby 
I  can  get  you  back  to  Washington.  I 
will  apprise  the  constable,  and  you  shall 
be  set  at  liberty  just  at  dusk.  I  wall  have 
cars  provided,  and  then  conduct  you  safely 
in  some  byways  and  unsuspected  places 
to  avoid  the  mob." 

"  Oh,  that  is  excellent !  Now  speed 
the  time ;  make  sure  every  course.  Oh, 
that  night  were  come  !  How  can  I  ever 
repay  you  ?  Excuse  my  crying ;  you  know 
not  what  I  have  suffered.  But  I  will  tell 
you  all — oh,  such  horrors  as  I  have  passed  ! 
could  you  believe  the  half?  Oh,  that  I 
had  ever  kept  under  the  eye  of  my  uncle  ! 
My  foolish,  foolish  undertaking !  He  will 
never  forgive  me — O  Heavens  !  " 

Her  feelings  well-nigh  overcame  her, 
for  the  confidence  she  felt  in  Perkins  re- 
moved her  restraint,  and  her  long-pent-up 
anguish  and  overstrung  nerves  now  gave 
way,  and,  quite  exhausted,  she  sank  down 
on  the  hay  and  hid  her  face. 


Have  you  ever  been  in  Montgomery  on 
a  winter's  eve,  and  felt  the  genial  air  ? 
Could  you  an  Italian  sky  surpass,  and 
free  from  banditti  roam  in  the  light  of  an 
early  evening  moon,  and  treasure  evil  in 
one  single  thought  ?  Have  you  seen  a 
country  maid  from  home  on  a  lone  road, 
miles  away  with  one  man,  and  never 
thanked  your  God  you  were  an  Ameri- 
can '{  Or  was  it  possible  that  virtue  and 
honor  were  so  common  here  you  knew 
not  of  them  ?  Possibly  you  have  never 
been  in  other  countries.  Possibly  you 
do  not  know  that  the  avenues  to  employ- 
ment in  a  republic  are  a  greater  incentive 
to  virtue  and  honor  than  all  the  edicts 
and  soldiers  of  any  of  the  kings  or  poten- 
tates on  earth.  A  republic  is  a  book  on 
the  rights  of  man,  and  the  citizens  are 
taught  to  read  it ;  but  a  monarchy  is  a 
game  of  grab-all  with  a  whip  in  the  hand 
of  the  mighty.  A  man  that  opposes  or 
rebels  against  the  former,  rebels  against 
himself,  and  must  be  mad.  Only  destruc- 
tion could  come  on  such.  But  the  phi- 
losophy of  all  things  is  fixed,  and  no  man 
may  change  them.  The  vigorous  body 
is  neglectful,  and  foul  disorders  prey  upon 
its  vitals ;  then  stern  nature  sickens  and 
purges  the  whole.  The  surfeit  in  spots 
appears,  and  the  wise  man  trembles ;  for 
these  are  the  signals,  and  the  Almighty 
points  at  the  nation's  fall.  Treasure  it, 
O  ye  mighty  men  of  earth,  for  the  law 
of  equal  rights  amongst  men  is  in  the 
care  of  Him  who  rules  the  heavens  !  Jus- 
tice is  in  the  firmament  with  an  uplifted 
sword ;  wdio  would  not  fall,  let  him  be- 
hold. It  is  the  guiding  star  to  the  mind, 
and  the  footstool  to  the  climbing  genius. 
Vain  politicians  heed  it  not,  but  cavil  on 
the  meaning  of  words,  and  their  own  in- 
genuity blinds  them.  Heaven  shall  strike 
them  down,  and  their  party  with  them. 
They  will  not  heed  equal  rights  before 
the  lawT,  and  they  shall  be  ruined.  They 
have  long  been  told  of  this,  and  the  wis- 
dom of  the  prophecy  makes  them  fear  its 
truth,  and  they  are  enraged  thereat.  They 
are  mad.  They  are  given  up  to  all  man- 
ner of  profanity  and  wickedness.  They 
make  oaths  to  Heaven,  then  violate  them, 
and  even  Heaven  itself  do  they  defy. 

Of  this  party  was  Perkins.  Once  plan- 
ning rebellion  against  liberty,  had  fitted 
his  soul  for  all  wickedness.  He  knew  his 
own  impurity,  and  that  no  good  act  of 
his  could  ever  win  her  guardian  uncle's 
will.  Some  things  we  can  forgive  in  a 
man,  and  welcome  to  his  arms  our  fair 
ones ;  but  there  are  others  that  seal  a 
separation  forever — things  that  make  a 
grave    more   welcome    than    a    husband. 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


103 


Perkins  was  intelligent  and  sensitive,  nor 
could  be  brook  to  be  denied.  His  victim 
was  a  beart-broken  girl,  far  from  borne, 
in  prison,  and  be  led  ber  out  at  night. 
She  was  all  joy  for  berself,  but  nearly 
overcome  with  grief  for  tbe  poor  slave 
Kate,  left  bawling  in  tbe  Quarters,  whence 
tbe  pleadings  and  prayers  were  screamed 
till  gentle  Ann  was  lost  in  the  distance. 
Closely  now  on  bis  arm  she  bung,  all  con- 
fident, and  nearly  crazy  with  ber  hurried 
thoughts,  nor  noticing  where  she  travelled, 
till  full  out  in  tbe  open  country  road,  by 
tbe  light  of  the  evening  moon,  he  bade 
her  bait. 

"  Tell  me,  now,"  be  spake,  in  slow  and 
solemn  voice  and  determinedly, 
"  Tell  me,  now,  has  this  night  no  charm 

for  you, 
To  cancel  all  the  past,  and  bless  tbe  future  ? 
Will  ever  this  most  glorious  scene  occur 
To  you  in  after  time — and  me  forgotten  ? " 

Ann. — "  Oh,   never  !    never  !     But   why 
halt  you  here  ? 
For  now,  amid  the  joys  I  feel,  I  fear 
A  cloud  may  mar  the  dear,  tbe  beautiful 

scene. 
Shall  we  not  go  on  ?  " 

Perkms— "  Whither  ?  " 

Ann. — "  You  frighten  me  !  " 

Perkins. —  "  If  frightened  now,  I  fear  you 
shall  be  more." 

Ann.— "  Why  !  you  will  not  proceed  to 
Washington  ?  " 

PerTcins. — "  No,  not  at  present." 

Ann. — "  But  you  promised  me ! " 

Perkins. — "I  thought  so  then,  but  not 
now. 

Here  I  stand, 
To  be  accepted  or  denied  by  you  ; 
And  all  these  beauties  witness  this  my  vow  : 
That  more  I  hope  to  never  live  in  heaven, 
Than  to  deceive  so  innocent  a  girl, 
And  that  in  all  attest  I  love  none  else, 
Nor  ever  shall  misuse  your  confidence. 
Will  you  be  mine  ?  " 

Ann. — "  My  uncle,  I  have  promised,  shall 
know  all, 
And,  if  he  give  consent,  you  need  no  more." 

Perkins. — "  Out  with  your  uncle  !     Only 
you  I  ask  !  " 

Ann.— "  Indeed,  then,  I  cannot  answer." 

Perkins. — "  You  shall !  " 

Ann. — "  Since  ever  I  was  a  child,  and 
for  nearly  every  day  of  my  life,  I  have 
promised  my  uncle,  nay,  called  Heaven  to 
witness  it,  that  I  would  never  promise  any 
man  without  my  uncle's  approval  first. 
Shall  I  forswear  myself?  " 

Perkins. — "  Promises  like  those  to  an 
uncle  or  a  father  are  nothing  in  the  sight 
of  Heaven.  They  are  idle,  toy-like,  chil- 
dren's words." 


Ann. — "  Oh,  say  not  so  !  Who  promises 
before  high  Heaven,  be  it  even  on  a  pin's 
head,  is  not  released  for  all  time.  Now, 
I  pray  you,  that  as  you  esteem  my  feelings, 
keep  me  not  here,  but  take  me  to  the  sta- 
tion." 

Pa-kins. — "Never!  I  am  denied.  I  am 
scoffed  at.  I  am  a  tool  to  help  others  to 
their  joys,  and  left  to  feed  on  my  own 
bitter  thoughts.  Your  uncle  will  never 
consent ;  nay,  though  I  lifted  you  from 
the  water's  edge,  or  though  from  a  1  turn- 
ing housetop  I  bore  you  safely,  be  would 
point  bis  finger,  and  say,  Unclean  !  Had 
I,  with  the  promises  of  my  fortune,  lived 
in  Britain  or  Europe,  and  been  the  father 
of  a  dozen  children  and  still  unmarried, 
tbe  bond  of  equal  rank  would  not  have 
been  yet  broken.  Here  has  a  sentimental 
philosophy  sprung  up,  and  I  would  join 
hell  itself  for  its  overthrow.  You  know 
what  I  mean.  There  is  a  time  when  all 
ceremonies  cease,  and  love  can  wait  for  no 
more  speeches.     You  shall  be  mine  !  " 

Instinctively  now  she  withdrew  her 
hand  froin  his  arm,  and  he  turned  to 
face  her.  She  drooped  with  fear  and 
trembling,  and  then  with  much  craft 
made  answer, 

"  Oh,  say  not  so  !  for  my  own  unhappi- 
ness  might  ruin  yours.  Please  take  me  to 
the  station,  or  back  to  the  Quarters,  or 
where  you  will,  but  do  not  more  for  which 
you  impugn  yourself ;  for  yet  you  are  pos- 
sessed of  a  noble  soul  that  may  long  live 
in  happiness.  Too  gloomily  you  view  the 
things  whereof  you  complain,  and  in  too 
much  haste  you  urge  tbe  final  course.  If 
not  I  may  be  yours,  there  may  be  one 
never  knowing  to  tbe  things  you  accuse 
yourself  better  suited  to  bless  you." 

Perkins. — "  You  forget — I  say  you  shall 
be  mine !  " 

Ann. — "  Why,  now,  how  could  that  be  ? 
for  tbe  priest  will  ask  me  if  it  be  my  wish, 
and  if,  perchance,  I  say  him  no,  what 
then  ?     I  should  not  be  your  wife  ?  " 

Perkins. — "  You  jest ;  but  I  will  teach 
you  in  plainer  words,  that,  if  you  do  not 
consent  before  the  law,  I  will  not  be  bound 
by  the  law,  and  yet  you  shall  rue  that  you 
fill  tbe  place  never  sanctioned  by  cere- 
mony." 

Ann. — "  I  know  not  what  you  mean  ; 
but  I  pray  you,  that,  as  I  esteem  you  for 
your  kindness  so  far,  you  take  me  to  the 
station.  When  we  were  little  children 
together,  you  would  take  me  by  the  band 
and  lead  me ;  are  you  less  gallant  now  ? 
Now  I  pray  you,  tease  me  no  more,  for  I 
am  sick  and  faint  with  long  suffering." 

She  then  took  him  by  both  bands,  and 
looked  up  into  his  face,  now  so  cold  and 


101 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


silent.  Long  he  stood,  motionless,  and 
then  teardrops  rolled  down  his  cheeks. 
Down  he  hung  his  head,  and  she  herself 
saying  nothing,  for  it  is  in  silence  the  soul 
reaches  up  to  God. 

Perkins. — "  O      Innocence      Immortal  ! 
whence  this  might, 
To  shear  the  villain's  craft  and  long-laid 

schemes, 
And  purity  embolden  by  its  pureness, 
As  standing  here,  and  powerless  I  am, 
So  helpless,  and  in  an  angel's  grasp. 
Never,  no,  never  can  you  know  my  heart, 
Nor  the  dread  mystery,  why  you  are  here ; 
Nor  aught  of  all  your  woes  and  suffering — 
Save  that  even  he  you  do  refuse — is  guilty. 
I  never  knew  a  woman's  moral  worth, 
And  was  taught  evil  by  my  rights  in  slaves. 
Pity  me,  and  forgive.     Here  is  my  death, 
My  life,  my  liberty,  my  all  in  this, 
A  bowie-knife  !  " 

He  stepped  back  from  her,  and  swung 
his  hand  with  the  shining  steel,  while  she 
in  terror  stood,  uplifting  both  hands  and 
gasping,  pale  as  in  death. 

"  Now  go,  I  charge  you  here, 
And  by  this  instrument  am  sworn  to  Heaven, 
Or  else  you  die  !    Go,  go !    And  when  you're 

gone, 
And  only  yonder  pale  moon  may  witness, 
— I'll  die  !    You  are  too  pure  for  me,  and  I 
So  much  admire  your  nobleness  I  am  dead 
To  all  ambition.     Here,  on  this  lone  spot, 
Will  I  undo  the  body  organized 
Ever  with  lire  ungovernable — ever 
The  blur  and  ruin  to  my  own  pure  spirit." 

Ann. — "  Though  I  die,  but  hear  me 
speak  one  word — — " 

Perkins.  — "  Silence  !     Begone  !     I    hold 
commune  with  none, 
Nor  would  you  feel  nor  see  the  work  of  this 
Dread    instrument,    begone !      I    am    re- 
solved !  " 

Ann. — "  I  shall  not  go,  God  witness,  I 
shall  not, 
Here,  I  come  on  the  blade,  now  strike  me 

down — 
That  promised  little  to  so  true  a  love." 

Perkins. — "  Begone,  vain  woman  !  " 

And  he  pushed  her  back,  and  sternly 
stood  clear. 

"  You  could  not  be  mine 
In  honor,  and  in  shame  you  never  shall. 
I  sent  you  here ;  I  had  you  dragged  in 
irons, 


Even  as  a  slave — and  now  have  led  you 

here — 
For  nothing  noble.     Go  from  me,  I  say ; 
One  must  die — two  need  not,  or  the  crime 

is  yours." 
Ann. — "  Ah,  indeed  !     Can  no  voice  of 

entreaty '' 

Perki/if. — "  Nothing  !  Begone  !  " 
Ami.—"  O  Heaven !  what  shall  I  do  ? " 
She  then  cried  hitterly,  for  he  was  bo 
determined  she  had  no  more  hope,  and, 
half  praying  and  pleading,  she  sank  down 
even  at  his  feet.  In  a  moment  now  the 
scene  changed.  A  vigilance  committee 
of  a  dozen  men  were  returning  from  the 
hanging  of  a  neighboring  farmer,  and, 
turning  the  bend  in  the  road,  came  full 
upon  Perkins  even  as  gentle  Ann  lay  at 
his  feet.  The  persons  all  gathered  around, 
and  in  much  earnestness  looked  to  Perkins 
for  an  explanation.  "  She  is  sick  and  weary," 
said  Perkins  ;  "  will  you  help  me  take  her 
to  the  city  ? "  and  then  the  weeping,  faint- 
ing girl  was  raised  up.  One  of  the  vigil- 
ance committee  exclaimed  at  once,  with 
an  awful  oath,  "  Why,  this  is  that  Aboli- 
tion wretch  Russel  spoke  of !  Hang  him 
and  her  !  "  and  then  he  called  her  by  an 
evil  name.  The  crowd  was  inclined  to 
make  quick  work  of  it,  nearly  every  one 
shouting  out,  "  Up  with  her  !  "  "  Hang 
her ! "  and  such  like  words ;  but  Per- 
kins stoutly  denied  she  was  an  Abolition- 
ist, and  kept  the  crowd  at  bay  for  some 
time.  One  of  the  men  then  said,  "  He  is 
an  accomplice  of  hers.  I  do  suspect  both 
are  Abolitionists.  I  would  rather  hang  a 
dozen  innocent  ones,  than  let  one.  Aboli- 
tionist escape.  Let  us  hang  both,  and 
that  is  the  end  of  it."  After  some  parley, 
however,  it  was  concluded  to  postpone  the 
hanging  till  next  day.  Gentle  Ann  was 
so  wreak  and  so  frightened  she  realized 
little  of  what  was  going  on.  The  mob 
then  tied  her  and  Perkins  together,  and 
marched  them  back  to  Montgomery,  one 
of  the  pleasantest  cities  in  the  South. 

Jenkins  informs  me  that  it  is  the  better 
way  to  say  nothing  more  in  this  chapter 
on  the  above  subject,  for  there  are  other 
things  of  great  moment  connected  with 
this  invaluable  record  which  may  be  found 
in  the  next  chapter  by  simply  reading  it 
once  over. 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


105 


CHAPTER    XIII 


THE  COURTS  OF  JUDGE  FRANCIS. THE  FOUR  STYLES  OF  TELLING  A  THING. — THE  PLOT  TO  KILL  LIN- 
COLN ;  AND  THE  OTHER  THINGS,  WHEREIN  ARE  ILLUSTRATED  MANY  OF  THE  HIDDEN  MYSTERIES  OF 
NEWSPAPER  ACCOUNTS  ABOUT  MADAM  PONCHARD,  PUBLISHED  AS  SOON  AS  THEY  OCCURRED  AFTEE 
THE  WOFUL  IMPRISONMENT  OF  MISS  UNDERBILL,  AND  OF  PRESCOTT'S  ATTEMPT  TO  SUBVERT  THE 
THREATENED  WAR  BETWEEN  THE  NORTH  AND  SOUTH  IN  ITS  INCIPIENT  STAGE,  BY  AN  INDIRECT  PUB- 
LICITY THROUGH  SCOTT  AND  BUCHANAN,  BUT  WHOLLY  ON  HIS  OWN  RESPONSIBILITY  AND  IN  IMMI- 
NENT DANGER,  AND  APPROVED  BY  THE  AFORESAID  COURTS. 


When  I  read  the  heading  over,  I  told 
Jenkins  an  excellent  scholar  could  per- 
ceive that  a  few  words  inserted  in  it  at 
various  places  would  make  it  quite  plain. 
"  Well,"  said  he,  "  let  him  perceive  it. 
We  must  be  diplomatic,  no  matter  what 
comes  of  it."  I  made  no  more  argument, 
but  signified  my  readiness  to  proceed. 
He  then  handed  me  a  bundle  of  reapers, 
saying,  "  These  are  Prescott's  ;  take  them, 
and  write  them  out."  I  then  asked  by 
what  right  Prescott  claimed  notes  before 
our  exalted  courts.  "  He  has  no  right," 
said  he  ;  "  we  granted  it  him.  He  had 
long  knocked  at  the  Temple  and  cast  in 
morsels  of  learning.  We  let  him  in,  in 
order  to  show  him  by  our  wisdom  how 
much  he  lacked.  We  put  him  in  the 
box,  and  he  gave  in  the  following  testi- 
mony, which,  by  our  court,  was  pro- 
nounced upon.  The  approaching  war 
had  reduced  the  number  of  members  of 
our  court  to  a  fraction.  Prescott  had 
never  been  in  the  box  before ;  the  Judge 
scarcely  had  his  old  spectacles  adjusted, 
when  the  former  began,  and  these  were 
his  words  before  the  court,  to  wit : 

"  It  is  hardly  possible  for  the  people  of 
any  period  to  place  a  correct  value  on 
their  own  transpiring  events,  or  to  con- 
ceive the  verge,  whereby  they  walk  so 
near  to  life  or  death.  On  the  morning 
before  Caesar's  death  the  great  Roman 
empire  was  all  joy  and  gratitude  for  the 
seeming  changeless  glory  and  peace  that 
awaited  their  mighty  nation ;  but  yet 
they  were  on  the  verge  of  a  fall  that  will 
be  awful  to  contemplate  for  thousands  of 
years  to  come.  The  Trojans  hoped  and 
believed  in  their  power  and  glory,  even 
till  they  were  destroyed.  The  Lacedse- 
mons,  the  Carthaginians,  and  the  people 
of  all  countries  and  kingdoms  under  the 
sun    have    boasted   of   their  power    and 


safety  even  to  the  day  of  their  fall.  For 
five-and-thirty  times  has  France  set  up 
the  boast,  and  every  several  time  come 
to  ruin.  Great  Britain  thought  she  had 
hit  on  the  noblest  and  most  enduring 
form ;  but  her  distant  colonies  have 
gradually  alienated  and  stripped  the  pa- 
rent stem,  till,  standing  there,  she  is  only 
a  helpless  show,  commanding  by  the 
shadow  of  what  was  once  a  great  power. 
In  olden  times  she  could  raise  four  hun- 
dred thousand  men ;  but  in  the  late  war 
with  Russia  she  could  raise  but  six-and- 
twenty  thousand.  Like  an  old  man,  she 
acknowledges  not  her  weakness,  nor  will 
she  while  a  crown  can  hold  the  helm. 
She  has  passed  the  verge,  like  an  old 
farmer  whose  sons  have  gone  away  from 
the  old  homestead,  leaving  only  a  few 
old  maids,  as  harmless  as  doves,  to  mark 
the  fall  that  has  been  so  gradual  as  not 
to  be  felt  by  the  people.  All  other  na- 
tions have  fallen  by  war  or  by  internal 
dissension  and  general  disintegration ; 
and,  strange  to  say,  every  nation's  fall 
has  been  previously  predicted  by  its 
wisest  men,  and  scoffed  at  by  the  general 
citizens  even  till  the  day  of  trial  came  ;  for, 
what  men  do  wish  to  believe,  though  the 
verge  ripens  to  their  every  sense. 

"  But  what  of  ourselves  ?  Is  our  na- 
tion at  the  verge  where  all  men  pass? 
First  the  childhood,  with  only  wild  na- 
ture pleased,  and  all-absorbent  with  rural 
joys.  Then  the  age  of  admiration  and 
self-love,  where  the  mirror  and  the  boast 
hold  command  over  all  else.  Next,  fol- 
lowed by  the  goal  of  disappointment,  and 
turned  to  battle  with  the  unruly  members 
within  itself,  and  in  despondency  commit 
suicide,  or  in  triumph  conquer  matchless 
glory.  Who  that  thinks  of  these  things 
is  not  solicitous  for  the  welfare  of  his 
country  ?  And  who  can,  in  an  approach- 
ing   crisis    like    the    present,  stand  idly 


106 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


while  the  poniard  is  raised  to  his  Caesar's 
breast  ?  It  is  not  deserving  of  praise  to 
fight  for  one's  country,  for  it  is  natural ; 
though,  when  an  officer  is  given  a  sword, 
and  himself  swears  to  keep  the  peace  by 
it,  and  then  himself  will  stand  and  do 
nothing,  he  is  indeed  a  criminal  fit  for 
the  trap  and  craft  of  any  design  against 
his  life.  A  very  dog  in  the  manger,  hold- 
ing back  the  guard  while  murderers  plunge 
their  swords  and  bayonets  in  the  hearts  of 
innocent  millions.  An  officer  loving  more 
his  party  than  his  country  ;  a  man  to  for- 
swear his  oath  before  God ;  to  set  bloody 
war  afoot,  and  gloat  on  poor  widows  and 
orphans,  rather  than  see  his  own  party 
turned  out  of  power.  What  man,  know- 
ing such  a  man  to  hold  the  chief  office  of 
a  nation,  would  not  feel  that  his  country 
was  at  the  verge  of  its  own  greatness  ? 
Nor  could  any  one  blame  a  citizen  for 
trying  to  counteract  the  evils  of  so  vile 
and  perjured  a  wretch.  Was  ever  so  poor 
a  person  put  in  office  ?  Was  ever  a  Con- 
stitution so  distorted  ?  Was  ever  a  man 
of  so  low  a  mind  raised  to  so  high  a  sta- 
tion ? " 

Judge. — "  Is  your  name  Prescott  ?  " 

Prescott.— u  It  is." 

Judge. — "  Well,  Mr.  Prescott,  you  are 
oft*  your  subject.  You  remind  me  of  my 
ancient  French  friend,  Victor  Hugo,  and, 
if  you  were  not  handsome,  I  should  banish 
you  also  to  some  lone  island.  Always, 
when  he  begins  to  tell  a  story,  he  tells  a 
good  many  others  first.  We  want  noth- 
ing with  ancient  Rome  or  Greece,  but 
Washington.  If  you  cannot  give  in  ycur 
testimony  without  running  abroad  for 
illustrations,  or  without  ambiguous  refer- 
ence to  men  in  office,  you  are  not  suited 
to  this  court.  If  you  allude  to  James 
Buchanan,  say  so.  If  you  have  any  affair 
between  him,  Madam  Ponchard,  and  Jeff. 
Davis,  why,  say  so.  We  want  no  Romes 
here." 

Prescott  felt  the  rebuke,  and  would 
have  gladly  shut  out  the  comparison  to 
the  Fiench  author  had  it  been  possible; 
but  remembering  that  in  earlier  days,  be- 
fore he  had  arisen  to  fame,  he  had  played 
in  the  minstrels,  and  learned  to  say  plain 
things  under  color  which  he  never  could 
have  without  paint,  he  rubbed  his  face 
now  to  make  believe  the  blush  was  hid- 
den, and  then  struck  out  in  the  following 
most  remarkable  words,  to  wit : 

Prescott. — "  Then,  now,  of  a  solemn 
voice  I  speak,  and  I  speak  as  my  heart 
moves  me.  I  stand  not,  sir,  on  legal 
forms  or  etiquette,  but  use  such  plain, 
blunt  words  as  best  apply  to  this  eventful 
period.      For,  even  while  gloomy  winter 


I  overhangs  this  city,  while  rains  and  storms, 
thaws  and  freezings  alternate  changes  play, 
and  suns  and  clouded  heavens  vie  for  the 
mastery ;  while  covered  lies  the  withered 
leaf  of  autumn,  and  budding  green  in  em- 
biyo  yet  is  sleeping,  wrapped  in  the  folds 
of  fruitful  and  never-denying  earth,  and 
the  birds  to  their  holes  or  to  their  south- 
ern homes,  albeit  devotional  all  for  the 
glorious  bounties  in  an  early  spring, 
changes  far  on  in  the  world's  history  and 
magnitude  of  human  events  are  about  to 
be  borne  into  the  presence  of  an  unguard- 
ed people.  The  toil  of  labor  for  the  scene 
and  coming  convulse  stirreth  now  in  the 
heart  of  millions,  and  the  mutterings  of 
its  thunders  hide  all  that  is  on  the  face 
of  the  earth.  Like  a  newly-kindled  fire, 
over  which  lies  endless  food  for  the  de- 
vouring flames,  its  yet  almost  unnotice- 
able  sparks  and  smoke  have  more  terror 
to  more  people  than  did  ever  before  the 
threatened  war  in  any  age.  Millions  of 
people,  honest  and  virtuous,  unarmed  and 
unprotected  by  soldiery,  now  behold  the 
bloody  Mars  galloping  forth  with  sword 
uplift,  while  bayonets  in  the  hands  of  mil- 
lions are  pointing  to  the  breasts  of  count- 
less women  and  children." 

Judge. — "  This  court  cannot  receive  such 
testimony,  Mr.  Prescott.  It  is  neither  his- 
tory nor  philosophy  ;  "  and  the  Judge 
winked  at  various  members. 

Prescott  was  excited,  but  firm,  and  thus 
went  on,  to  wit : 

"  While  many  men  and  women,  here  in 
Washington,  are  engaged  in  trying  to 
plunge  the  whole  country  into  war,  or, 
by  their  threats,  to  maintain  in  power  the 
party  that  has  just  been  defeated  by  vote, 
it  will  be,  no  doubt,  to  future  generations 
a  great  mystery  why  somebody  does  not 
nip  the  thing  in  the  bud.  And  it  will  be, 
too,  no  doubt,  said,  owing  to  the  imbe- 
cility of  Buchanan,  that  nothing  was 
done  to  avert  so  great  a  calamity.  But 
such  is  not  the  case.  There  are  many 
men,  unofficials,  who  are  knocking  at 
every  door,  communicating  and  urging 
everything  possible  to  arouse  a  patriotic 
action,  but  who  as  signally  fail  in  every 
attempt." 

Judge.— •"  Come  to  the  point,  Mr.  Pres- 
cott; this  court  is  waiting  for  the  testi- 
mony." 

Prescott. — "  On  a  fair  winter's  day,  amid 
the  mixed  multitude  thronging  the  streets 
of  Washington,  was  to  be  seen  one  of  the 
busiest  men  you  ever  heard  of,  hurrying 
hither  and  thither  in  the  show  and  fash- 
ion, his  hands  clenching  a  bundle  of  pa- 
pers, his  brow  all  sweat,  and  snarled  with 
alternate  hope  and  anguish  in  every  fea- 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


107 


ture.  He  seemed  but  a  boy  in  step  and 
action,  but  his  fixed  features,  loug  experi- 
ence, and  some  adversity,  marked  him  full 
thirty  or  forty  ;  and  his  hesitance  "was  like 
a  woman's.  He  seemed  to  notice  none, 
and  few,  indeed,  noticed  him  ;  but  yet  he 
had  ventured  upon  a  part  in  the  great  na- 
tional drama  that  will  ever  signalize  him  as 
the  first  active  patriot  of  the  present  pe- 
riod." 

At  this  point  the  Judge  interrupted 
Prescott,  by  declaring  his  style  too  much 
like  a  parson's  novel,  or  the  romance  of  a 
schoolgirl. 

Jenkins  then  took  up  the  subject,  and 
thus  related  it  himself,  to  wit : 

For  a  long  time  there  had  been  threats 
made  by  many  secessionists  that  Lincoln 
would  never  reach  Washington  alive ;  and 
even  Buchanan  had  said  that  Lincoln 
should  never  be  President.  Offers  for 
Lincoln's  destruction,  for  his  head,  for 
his  body  and  for  his  skin,  were  now 
made  in  nearly  all  the  hotels  of  Washing- 
ton, and  in  many  cities  throughout  the 
South.  Most  of  the  American  people 
could  not — would  not — believe  the  coun- 
try was  at  the  verge  of  its  own  fall.  These 
offers  and  bribes  for  Lincoln's  death  were 
laughed  at — considered  merely  a  politi- 
cal boast,  that  would  vanish  by  the  com- 
ing March.  Yet  the  evidence  to  the  con- 
trary was  true  beyond  all  question,  to 
persons  acquainted  with  the  whisperings 
and  low  cunning  manifest  in  all  Washing- 
ton society.  Two  persons,  Madame  Pon- 
chard  and  Orsini,  mysterious  in  all  their 
doings  a:  d  actions,  had  weighed  the  offers 
for  Lincoln's  death,  and  found  a  profitable 
balance  on  murder's  side.  These,  in  a  re- 
mote corner,  secluded  by  some  leafless 
winter  trees,  in  an  unguarded  moment  let 
fall  some  strong  words,  the  which  reached 
Prescott's  attentive  ear.  It  was  late  in  the 
evening  when  he  observed  them  to  halt 
and  to  prejsare  to  hide  something.  "  See  ! 
barken,  now,  Orsini  !  "  she  said  in  rather 
audible  whispers,  "  lest  some  woful  for- 
tune turn  on  us  and  us  betray,  beneath 
these  stones  we'll  hide  these  scraps,  and 
so  hide  the  evidence  to  convict  us,  if 
caught."  "  Agreed  !  "  said  he,  and  then, 
in  some  indistinct  mutterings,  agreed  they 
both  to  keep  this  spot  as  the  hallowed  re- 
ceptacle of  their  designs.  Prescott  watch- 
ed with  eager  eye  these  would-be  hired 
murderers,  in  hopes,  in  part  for  fame  and 
notoriety,  but  more  to  thwart  so  foul  a 
purpose,  till  they  were  gone ;  and  then, 
repairing  to  the  spot,  upturned  the  stones, 
and,  in  the  broken  column  of  a  fallen 
lamp-post,  found  crammed  certain  papers. 


It  was  too  dark — being  at  night — to  read 
or  guess  with  certainty  what  was  there- 
on, and  so,  to  make  all  safe,  thinking 
they  would  return  to  deposit  more  or  call 
for  these,  he  returned  them,  resolved  that, 
with  the  first  gleam  of  the  morning  light, 
he  would  return  and  read  them.  He  did 
so,  even  while  he  thought  all  the  city 
asleep,  supposing  no  one  was  fool  enough 
to  rise  so  early ;  but  ot  that  anon.  The 
papers  were  a  collection  of  subscriptions 
for  Lincoln's  death,  and  were  so  plainly 
written  as  to  be  unmistakable.  Hastily 
he  ran  over  the  amount,  and  found  that 
it  footed  the  enormous  sum  of  two  mil- 
lions. Aside  from  this,  there  were  others, 
offers  for  the  heads  of  many  other  men. 
When  he  had  satisfied  his  curiosity,  and 
safely  replaced  the  papers,  he  left.  Orsini 
left  Washington  the  next  day,  and  travel- 
led South.  For  six  days  and  nights  Pres- 
cott watched  the  hidden  papers,  but  no 
one  seemed  to  come  near  the  spot ;  yet, 
ere  he  had  gone  far  from  it,  one  morning 
at  the  break  of  day,  he  met  Mrs.  Stimp- 
kins,  the  famous  lecturer  and  editress. 
"  Ha  !  "  she  said,  "  I'll  know  now,  Mr. 
Prescott,  why  it  is  you  frequent  this  sjjot 
so  regularly.  Are  you,  indeed,  too,  con- 
spiring against  the  life  of  the  in-coming 
Administration  ?  Are  you,  indeed,  to  re- 
ceive two  millions  of  dollars  for  simply 
killing  one  man  ?  Has  man  wronged  you 
also  ?  Is,  also,  man's  fickleness  your  ruin  ? 
Know  you  that  you  have  laid  a  trap  for 
your  neck  ?  Know  you  that  for  six  days 
and  nights  I  have  seen  you  come  here  to 
count  over  your  expected  gains  ?  " 

Thus  saying,  she  tightly  clenched  her 
long  thin  lips,  and  hand  over  hand  rubbed 
her  large  knuckles,  eyeing  him  with  the 
fierceness  of  a  very  tiger. 

"  Madam,"  he  said,  "  you  much  mistake 
me.  I  have  been  also  watching  this  spot, 
in  hopes  to  acquire  evidence  and  power 
to  convict  the  would-be  criminals  doing 
this." 

For  a  moment  an  incredulous  smile 
overspread  her  half-starved  face,  the  while 
her  eyes  piercing  still,  and  she  slowly, 
firmly  said, 

"  So,  indeed  !  Am  I  to  be  forever  un- 
armed by  plausible  stories  ?  Am  I  to  be 
again  balked  by  the  cunning  of  man  ?  to 
disbelieve  my  own  senses,  and  all  faith 
bestow  on  a  race  whose  every  word  and 
action  have  ever  galled  me  with  disap- 
pointment ?  " 

He  told  her  he  knew  not  what  she 
meant. 

"  You  don't  ? "  said  she,  satirically. 
"  Then  hark  you — I  will  tell  you ;  and, 
little  can  I  ask  you  to  believe,  if  indeed 


108 


TEE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;    OR, 


you  have  found,  as  I  have,  all  men  and 
women  to  be  false  ;  but  I  speak  in  justice 
to  myself.  First,  then,  I  don't  believe 
you ;  you  are  a  dough-face,  a  man  to  be- 
tray the  liberties  of  your  fellow-creatures 
for  money.  Such  is  man's  nature,  and 
you,  bearing  the  semblance  of  a  man, 
must  be  false  to  human  rights.  You 
smile  !  Sir,  I  have  been  many  times  mar- 
ried— have  dived  into  the  deepest  recesses 
of  man's  heart,  and  I  speak  only  the 
things  I  do  know.  For  gold,  for  gain, 
for  self  in  any  sense,  man,  this  would-be 
lord  of  ereatiou,  will  sell  virtue,  honor, 
love,  and  kindred.  Benevolence,  moral- 
ity, and  religion  will  he  use  as  masks  for 
his  selfish  purposes.  Give  him  an  oppor- 
tunity to  better  his  fortune,  and  he  will 
fall  in  love  with  a  bundle  of  bones  or  a 
bag  of  meat ;  add  another  opportunity 
to  his  view,  and  he  will  cast  the  same 
bones  or  meat  into  a  gutter.  Give  him 
adversity,  and  his  love  is  like  a  snow  in 
harvest,  a  fancy  to  melt  away  ere  'tis  seen. 
Such  has  been  my  experience,  such  my 
evidence.  The  joining  together  of  a  few 
hundred  dollars  has  ever  been  the  cause 
of  my  marriages  ;  and  my  every  husband 
has  painted  out  sure  prosperity  in  the 
prospect ;  but  when  failure  came,  a  want 
of  congeniality  was  discovered,  and  I  was 
cast  aside,  or  perhaps  opportunely  1  cast 
them  aside.  Thus  have  many  husbands 
failed  me  ;  but  my  last  one,  the  celebrated 
Professor  Jackson,  for  the  most  trivial 
cause,  because  I  limited  him  to  one  meal 
a  day,  has  left  me  the  worst  of  all,  or 
rather  I  did  not  cast  him  off  soon  enough. 
Again  I  take  the  field  alone,  a  champion 
once  more  for  woman's  rights.  But,  sir, 
Professor  Jackson  wrongs  me  still.  He 
lectures  on  the  same  subjects  I  do,  there- 
by even  robbing  me  of  my  own  profes- 
sion. But  I  am  resolute  ;  I  have  learned 
man's  selfishness,  though  it  cost  me  dear, 
and  I  am  sworn  to  make  my  mark  on  every 
man  I  meet.  I  don't  believe  your  story  !  " 
"  Indeed,  madam,  you  much  mistake 
me,"  said  he,  "  and  much  abuse  us  all. 
There  are  strange  coincidences  in  nature. 
You  may  have  five  or  seven  husbands,  and 
all  of  them  selfish  and  bad,  and  yet,  were 
you  to  take  another,  he  might  prove  a  very 
angel." 

"  Sir !  sir ! "  she  almost  screamed, 
"  would  you  offer  yourself  to  me  ?  Must 
here  begin  another  course,  to  end  in  fail- 
ure— to  tear  hence  still  another  vital  part  ? 
Oh,  curses,  curses  on  thy  sex !  Even  while 
you  lay  hands  on  a  murderer's  bribe,  you 
talk  of  marriage  !  " 

He  then  assured  her  that  these  papers 
were  not  his,  but  Madam  Ponchard's. 


"  Then  do  I  know,"  she  said,  "  you  are 
false.  If  'tis  but  to  curoe  a  woman  you 
lay  this  trap,  if  but  to  send  some  woman 
to  prison,  then  you  act  verily  a  man's  good 
part.  Yes,  I  believe  you ;  you  are  not 
the  villain  to  murder  Lincoln,  but  still 
you  are  a  man,  and,  as  such,  woman's  ene- 
my. Were  these  would-be  murderers  of 
Lincoln  men,  you  would  not  stir  a  hand ; 
but,  since  'tis  woman,  verily  how  noble 
you  are  !  Now,  I  shall  see  to  it,  and,  if 
it  be  indeed  a  woman,  I  swear  I  will 
thwart  you,  though  the  heavens  fall  !  " 

He  called  her,  for,  when  she  closed  her 
speech,  she  started  onward,  and  he  en- 
deavored to  tell  her  the  importance  of 
keeping  the  matter  a  secret.  She  would 
not  heed  him,  and  strove  to  appear  as  if 
she  had  vanquished  an  enemy. 

Prescott  knew  not  what  to  do,  but  im- 
mediately left  the  place,  and  sought  me, 
and  disclosed  all  his  discovery,  with  par- 
ticulars about  a  Mr.  Russel,  of  Baltimore, 
being  engaged  in  the  plot. 

Our  plans  were  at  once  submitted  to 
Judge  Francis,  and  we  were  directed  to 
assume  the  responsibility  of  procuring  the 
aid  of  two  trusty  officers  to  make,  at  the 
proper  time,  the  arrest  of  Madame  Pon- 
chard  and  Orsini.  Prescott  was  despatch- 
ed to  Baltimore,  to  appear  before  Russel 
as  a  man  from  Alabama  or  Mississippi,  and 
to  convince,  if  possible,  the  would-be  mur- 
derers of  Lincoln  that  he  was  also  in  the 
ring  with  them,  and  by  this  means  obtain 
all  the  information  possible  of  the  numbers 
and  designs  of  the  gang.  This  affair  was 
managed  well  by  Prescott.  On  arriving 
at  a  tavern  in  Baltimore,  he  came  across 
the  said  Russel,  to  whom  he  represented 
himself  as  the  leader  of  a  similar  plot  from 
Louisiana.  The  bait  took  exceedingly, 
and  several  Baltimore  gentlemen  were  in- 
troduced to  help  mature  the  plans.  Pres- 
cott informed  them  that  he  was  not  only 
acquainted  with,  but  a  partner  in  carrying 
out  the  plot.  Russel  was  a  crafty  man, 
and  had  a  straight  and  honest-looking 
eye,  even  when  telling  downright  false- 
hoods, and  could  so  laugh,  talk,  and  fill 
up  the  time,  that  no  other  could  edge  in 
a  word.  Yet,  in  apparent  candor,  like  a 
child  fond  to  learn,  Prescott  led  him  on, 
and  some  suggestions  made  that  won  him 
to  value  highly  his  every  plan.  In  course 
of  time,  Prescott  asked,  then  urged,  then 
commanded  him  to  come  to  "Washington, 
to  help  consummate  the  plans  for  Lincoln's 
death.  To  this  he  acceded,  and  the  trap 
for  his  capture  and  conviction  seemed  sure. 
On  the  following  day  he  and  Prescott 
reached  Washington.  This  was  the  day 
on  which  Lincoln  left  his  home  in  the  far 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1800. 


109 


West  for  the  Capital.  Already  Lad  Scott 
the  whole  city  guarded,  but  the  assassins 
had  resolved  to  commit  the  murder  in 
Baltimore. 

What  was  our  sunrise  to  learn  that  this 
same  Russel  was  a  member  for  the  Peace 
Congress,  and  that  he  professed  such  a 
warm  attachment  for  ex-Presidents  Fill- 
more and  Tyler,  and  that  he  so  honestly 
believed  Lincoln's  death  would  settle  all 
the  trouble  between  the  North  and  South, 
by  giving  the  South  supreme  power  ever 
after. 

Immediately  after  Prescott  and  Russel 
arrived  in  Washington,  and  when  they 
had  proceeded  a  short  distance  together 
and  then  halted  to  part,  they  were  met  by 
the  little  thin-faced  man  Stephens,  and 
Jeff.  Davis.  The  former  walked  on  slowly, 
but  Davis  spoke  with  Russel,  and  sug- 
gested to  him,  withiD  the  hearing  of  Pres- 
cott, that  the  proposed  assassination  of 
Lincoln  would  not  amount  to  much  unless 
a  hundred  others  were  killed  the  same 
day ;  and  this,  he  said,  would  be  the 
most  humane  way  of  settling  the  matter. 
Russel  replied  that  the  whole  of  the  lead- 
ers of  the  Black  Republican  party  could 
be  disposed  of  within  a  week.  Shortly 
after  this  Prescott  left,  and  so  also  did 
the  others,  each  one  going  his  own  way. 

All  the  above  information  was  now 
communicated  to  the  selected  officers, 
and  all  of  us  were  assigned  a  part  to  per- 
form, either  for  evidence  or  the  arrest. 
Scott  ordered  two  agents  off  to  meet  Lin- 
coln and  inform  him  of  the  dangers  await- 
ing him,  and  to  plan  out  some  mode  of 
reaching  the  Capital  without  passing 
through  Baltimore.  On  the  same  day 
of  the  departure  of  these  two  agents,  we 
had  another  interview  with  Buchanan. 
He  was  pale  and  distressed,  and,  when 
we  told  him  about  the  two  agents  sent  to 
meet  Lincoln,  he  really  trembled  with 
rage.  "  Shall  Scott  transcend  his  pow- 
ers ? "  he  said.  "  The  whole  thing  is 
bosh ;  it  is  unconstitutional.  I  know 
Madame  Ponchard  and  Orsini,  and  I  do 
suspect  this  whole  thing  to  be  a  consjura- 
cy  against  them  in  hopes  to  aggravate  the 
South." 

He  was  inconsolable.  We  left  him 
fevered  with  rage,  fearing  that  he  might, 
in  fact,  betray  us,  and  so  frustrate  all  our 
intentions. 

Now  it  became  necessary  to  guard  the 
place  where  the  prize  papers  were  con- 
cealed, but  we  needs  must  guard  them  in 
such  a  way  that  we  could  get  witnesses 
and  that  we  remain  unsuspected  our- 
selves. To  do  this,  we  resolved  to 
open  a  news-stand  near  by,  and  to  put 


the  fugitive  Joe  there  as  salesman.  To 
this  she  readily  assented,  not  knowing, 
however,  our  object.  But  I  myself  had 
i  some  unpleasant  conjectures  about  her. 
For  several  days  past  she  had  failed  in 
appearance,  looking  really  depressed  and 
broken  down.  And  whenever  I  inquired 
after  her  anxieties,  she  seemed  to  avoid 
me ;  seemed  as  if  the  spell  of  her  former 
open-heartedness  was  at  an  end.  At  pres- 
ent, however,  I  accounted  for  it  by  the 
disappearance  of  her  sister  Kate.  As  it 
was  only  for  a  few  days  we  desired  her 
services,  I  urged  her  to  brave  the  task, 
and  in  hopes  the  better  to  catch  the  eye 
of  her  sister,  should  she  pass  that  great 
thoroughfare,  she  herself  seemed  at  first 
enraptured. 

On  the  evening  of  the  third  day,  when 
I  called  at  the  news-stand,  she  was  in 
tears.  It  was  then  about  seven  in  the 
evening,  and  she  was  greatly  agitated. 
No  one  else  was  near,  and  I  insisted  on 
knowing  all  her  trouble.  She  leaned  on 
my  arm  a  moment,  and  sobbed  bitterly. 
"  Oh,  say  not  all,"  she  replied,  "  say  not 
all  my  trouble,  for  it  would  break  the 
stoutest  heart.  But  come ;  I  am  a  child — 
provide  me  safety  at  once.  I  do  forget, 
but  I  must  fly.  I  am  detected.  That 
murderer,  Orsini,  passed  here,  and  he 
pointed  to  a  friend  even  as  he  passed. 
He  was  in  comjjauy  with  the  actress  who 
married  my  master." 

"  What !  Madame  Ponchard  ?  "  said  I. 

"  The  lady,"  said  she,  "  so  richly  attir- 
ed, in  black,  jewelled.  Oh,  I  know  she 
and  he  murdered  my  good  master.  They 
are  now  after  me.  I  must  leave  in  an  in- 
stant. Tell  me  where  to  go — what  to 
do  !  " 

For  a  moment  I  was  shocked  and  con- 
fused, but,  on  regaining  my  presence  of 
mind,  I  told  her  to  wait  but  a  moment 
and  I  would  call  Prescott.  She  clung 
hard  upon  my  arm  and  looked  most 
piteously  into  my  face.  In  a  moment 
more  I  released  her  hold,  and  she  sat 
down,  while  I  hastened  fast  as  I  could 
walk  to  the  Jackson  House.  In  a  little 
while  I  found  Prescott,  and  solicited  him 
to  come  and  help  provide  safety  for  the 
news-stand  till  we  could  quietly  and  surely 
wait  on  the  fugitive's  requirements. 

What  was  our  astonishment  and  morti- 
fication, though,  to  find,  on  our  return, 
that  the  poor  girl  was  gone !  Not  a 
vestige  of  her  could  we  find.  No  note — 
nothing.  Thinking  that  perhaps  Orsini 
and  Madame  Ponchard  had  returned  and 
had  frightened  the  fugitive  off,  we  now 
sought  for  the  hidden  papers ;  but  here 
too   were   we    confounded.      They    were 


110 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


gone  !  Our  object  was,  as  has  often  been 
told  in  the  newspapers,  to  get  the  would- 
be  assassins  arrested,  and  to  keep  them  so 
until  Lincoln  should  reach  the  Capital. 
But  this  little  slip  was  likely  to  frustrate 
all  our  designs.  Of  course  we  informed 
the  detectives  of  what  had  happened,  and 
this  iu  a  measure  made  them  distrust  us. 
The  consequence  was,  on  the  following 
day  a  sort  of  wholesale  arrest  was  ad- 
vised, and  to  have  Russel  taken  up  at 
once.  Now  it  so  happened  that,  when 
the  detectives  passed  near  the  place  where 
the  papers  had  been  hid,  our  veritable 
Mrs.  Lucy  Tabiatha  Stimpkins  was  look- 
ing for  the  valuables,  and  iu  a  quan- 
dary about  their  disappearance.  They 
approached  her,  mistaking  her,  in  fact, 
for  Madame  Ponchard,  though  really  they 
looked  as  much  unlike  as  any  two  ladies 
could. 

"  Madam,"  said  they,  "  we  are  sorry, 
but  our  duty  compels  us  to  demand  your 
presence  at  headquarters  this  morning  ;  " 
and  they  smiled,  and  signified  for  her  to 
come  along. 

"  What  fool  effrontery  is  this  ?  "  she 
said,  scowling  with  her  deep,  sunken  eyes, 
and  bracing  herself  in  the  most  upright 
position.  "  Know  you  that  I  am  woman  ? 
Independent  woman !  Independent !  I 
have,  sirs,  a  duty  to  perform,  and  I  will 
perform  it  though  a  world  opposes  me  !  " 

The  officers  smiled  a  little,  and  told  her 
she  was  all  right — it  was  all  very  well,  but 
there  was  a  little  affair  which  made  it 
necessary  for  her  to  appear  at  the  police 
court,  hoping  she  would  pass  along  so 
quietly  as  not  to  attract  attention. 

"Do  you  know,"  she  said,  looking  ter- 
ribly fierce,  "  do  you  know  to  whom  you 
speak  ?  Have  the  inalienable  rights  of 
woman  sunken  to  this  low  ebb  ?  Is  this 
the  sphere  of  intellectual  woman  ? — to 
knuckle  to  man ;  to  go  to  police  head- 
quarters ;  to  go  quietly !  Quietly !  I 
would,  sirs,  make  my  voice  ring  louder 
than  the  thunders.  I  have  felt  the  tyranny 
of  man,  and,  sirs,  my  heart  bleeds  for  the 
manner  in  which  woman  is  crushed ;  but 
this  low  degradation  shall  never  come  on 
me — never  !  never  !  You  may  defraud  us 
of  the  ritjht  to  vote  ;  you  may  tax  us  with- 
out letting  us  hold  office,  but  you  shall 
never  tie  woman's  tongue.     Never  !  " 

This  did  attract  attention,  and  already 
were  a  few  beginning  to  collect  around. 
One  of  the  officers  stepped  up  to  her  and 
took  her  arm,  smiUng,  and  saying, 

"  Oh,  ve3,  vou  are  all  right ;  but  come 
on ! " 

"  Hence  !  "  she  said,  snatching  loose. 
"  Begone,  inferior  mortal !     From  all  that 


was  perfect,  was  most  perfect  woman 
made.  But,  sirs,  you  have  robbed  us  of 
our  affections — of  our  souls ;  you  have 
turned  us  into  barren  skeletons  and  wea- 
zen-voiced orators,  and  you  mock  at  us 
for  the  wreck  you  have  made.  But  when 
you  say  '  March  oil*  quietly,'  there's  the 
mark,  quietly ;  you  have  then  come  to  the 
place  where  you  can  go  no  further.  March 
off  quietly !  I'll  make  my  voice  rattle 
more  than  all  the  devils  in  pandemo- 
nium ! " 

The  crowd  began  to  assemble  rapidly, 
and  many  of  them  began  to  laugh,  and 
this,  too,  still  attracted  more  attention — 
the  officers  following  her  up  gently,  and 
she  as  violently  stepping  back  and  lectur- 
ing them,  to  the  amusement  of  the  by- 
standers. Fortunately,  however,  in  a  lit- 
tle while  Prescott  came  up,  and,  seeing 
the  mistake  that  had  been  made,  succeed- 
ed in  setting  all  right,  so  that  the  officers 
retired,  leaving  her  master  of  the  field. 
Here  she  held  forth  in  a  speech  on  wom- 
an's rights  in  earnest ;  but  we  cannot 
relate  her  speech,  owing  to  more  impor- 
tant matter. 

It  was  on  the  day  after  the  fugitive's 
disappearance,  and  immediately  after  a 
court  silting  before  Judge  Francis,  when 
I  had  come  down  from  the  Temple,  and 
meeting  Wadsworth  even  at  the  columns 
thereof,  and  seeing  him  in  apparent  dis- 
tress, I  halted,  and  engaged  him  in  the 
source  of  his  reveries.  He  had  never 
before,  to  me,  looked  so  ill — never  before 
so  melancholy  and  downcast.  At  first 
thought  I  inwardly  rebuked  myself  for 
not  having  heretofore  tried  more  to  min- 
ister to  his  apparent  sorrows.  Another 
thing  that  flashed  over  me  for  the  mo- 
ment was,  he  had  talked  for  a  long  time 
past  of  going  home  to  his  plantation ; 
and  now,  why  did  he  linger  still  in  Wash- 
ington ?  With  tearful  eyes  he  gazed  into 
mine,  taking  my  hand,  in  such  assurance 
as  sacred  made  the  word  of  each  to  the 
other,  saying,  "  I  have  waited  for  you," 
and  he  seemed  at  loss  whether  to  say 
more.  But  I  assured  him,  in  my  gentlest 
manner,  that  I  was  anxious  to  do  him 
service,  and  that  I  could  perceive  that 
something  more  than  common  was  prey- 
ing on  his  mind.  "  You  are  right,"  said 
he ;  "  I  am  almost  distracted.  I  hardly 
know  whether  I  am  living  or  dead." 
With  this  expression  he  half  turned  his 
face  away,  so  fair  and  noble,  and  the 
tears  flooded  his  cheeks.  Drawing  a  card 
from  his  pocket,  and  cautiously  turning 
it  over,  he  passed  it  to  me,  remarking, 
"  You  know  not  how  desolate  is  all  the 
world,  with  no  one  to  love  ! "     I  looked 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


Ill 


on  the  card,  and,  while  I  read  the  words 
on  it,  I  was  nearly  palsied. 

"  God  bless  thee !  With  no  mishap, 
thy  dear  one  will  soon  return." 

I  knew  who  it  was,  and,  although  I 
stood  as  motionless  as  a  statue,  a  torrent 
of  emotion  well-nigh  caused  me  to  sink 
to  the  ground.  Oh,  that  I  had  never 
lived  to  see  this — to  feel  that  the  dearest 
one  I  ever  knew  had  so  kindly  written  to 
my  most  excellent  friend  !  Oh,  the  rack- 
ing in  my  brain,  the  flood  of  gudhing 
thoughts  and  strange  imaginings  !  The 
dread  of  long  mistrust,  but  long  con- 
cealed and  curbed  by  my  best  judgment, 
had  now,  in  an  unexpected  moment,  had 
the  veil  lifted,  and  doubt  settled  forever. 
Visions  sad  and  lonely  then  spread  out 
before  me,  and  my  course  through  the 
long  future  loomed  up  as  mountains  of 
darkness  perpetual  in  the  clouds,  while 
my  own  isolated  self  appeared  in  the  dis- 
tant future  vainly  trying  to  achieve  that 
happiness  which  all  men  covet  on  earth, 
but  no  one  has  ever  attained.  "  Vain, 
vain  man,"  I  mused  to  myself,  "  see  you 
not  the  higher  law,  and  acknowledge  it, 
that  the  aspirations  and  fond  desires  of 
the  full-grown  man  are  dependent  too 
on  the  independent  will  of  others,  and 
that  yourself  in  obedience  here  must  find 
exaltment  in  the  things  that  goad  and 
murder  you ! "  Bitter,  bitter  bane  this, 
to  an  unprovoking  man  !  But  why  of 
myself?  Thus,  in  a  second  of  time,  I 
measured  a  world  in  thought,  and  con- 
founded stood,  with  the  little  card  half 
hidden  by  the  clouds  of  mist  gathering 
in  my  eyes,  till  Wadsworth,  more  col- 
lected but  weeping  more,  urged  me  to 
tell  him  if  I  knew  some  misfortune  to 
her. 

"  I  see  it  in  your  eye,  your  face,  and 
whole  expression,"  he  said ;  "  you  have 
ill  news  for  me.  Oh,  tell  me,  I  pray,  what 
evil  tidings  make  you  fear  to  break  it  to 
my  sensitive  ear  ?  I  know  your  kindness 
to  me,  and  your  gentleness  to  her.  You 
fear  we  are  separated  forever  ?  Oh,  speak  ! 
why  are  you  silent  ?  " 

He  seized  me  by  the  hand,  and  earnestly 
peered  into  my  face ;  but  I  was  so  con- 
fused, for  his  innocent  construction  of  my 
sorrow  overpowered  me,  that  I  found  no 
utterance  at  first,  and  then  he  added, 
quickly  : 

"  You  know  not  what  I  have  been  do- 
ing ?  I  have  searched  all  the  North,  and 
even  Canada,  but  I  tell  you  the  newspaper 
stories  of  her  flight  are  all  false.  She  has 
not  absconded,  but  some  great  misfortune 
has  befallen  her.  Now  I  charge  you,  and 
you  know  by  what  injunction  I  crave  aid 


in  my  distress,  if  you  know  aught  of  her 
that  will  give  me  either  peace  or  sorrow, 
speak  it — in  Heaven's  name  speak  !  " 

"  I  know  nothing  of  her,"  said  I,  "  and 
you  astound  me  beyond  measure.  So 
much  credit  has  been  put  in  the  stories 
about  her  having  been  seen  travelling 
North,  that  no  one  doubted.  Besides, 
also,  has  not  the  Judge  received  letters 
from  her  in  Canada  ?  " 

"  Those  letters  are  forged  !  " 

I  was  thunderstruck,  and  still  silently 
waited  while  he  resumed: 

"  I  traced  those  letters  out.  The  Judge 
gave  me  the  said-to-be  address,  and  urged 
me  to  go  to  Canada  and  see  her,  keeping 
it  quiet,  until  such  time  as  we  should  be 
married  and  she  could  return  in  safety." 

Here  was  another  shock ;  the  Judge 
had  given  his  consent,  and  I  had  never 
known  it. 

"  The  Judge  knows  not,  but  believes 
the  letters  are  genuine.  He  will  die  if  I 
unfold  the  truth  to  him ;  but  oh,  sir, 
what  fate  must  hers  be  !  Some  deep  and 
cursed  villainy  is  afoot.  That  lady  never 
left  Washington,  at  least  on  a  Northern 
railway  or  steamer."  He  then  minutely 
described  all  the  manner  of  inquiry  he 
had  instituted,  and  related  the  sad  result. 
I  listened  to  his  adventures,  myself  much 
moved  by  the  tenderness  of  his  style,  and 
when  he  had  finished,  he  gave  a  length- 
ened sigh,  and  pressed  my  hand  warmly, 
saying,  "  I  know  of  no  one  to  whom  I 
can  so  well  unfold  my  sorrows,  or  who 
would  so  much  excuse  my  weakness  a^ 
you,  and  for  that  reason  have  I  cast  my 
history  before  you.  Pray,  sir,  do  not  let 
your  sympathies  too  much  my  troubles 
bear,  but  rather  counsel  and  advise  me 
with  what  I  shall  do  to  regaiu  my  life- 
treasure  in  that  gentlest  one  of  all  I  ever 
knew.  My  day-dreams,  my  night-dreams, 
my  hours  of  ceaseless  thought  have  only 
life  in  her,  and  her  absence  is  my  living- 
death.  Oh,  sir,  in  Heaven's  name,  tell 
me,  what  shall  I  do  ?  Give  me  a  thought, 
or  a  dreamed-of  prospect,  and  I  will  fol- 
low it  to  the  end  of  the  world.  For  I 
have  fashioned  out  all  conjectures  and 
hopes,  and  pursued  them  to  the  very  utter- 
most end,  and  failed.  Give  me  some  clue, 
some  possible  hope,  whither  she  is  gone, 
and  I  will  fly.  My  admiration  for  you, 
and  my  love  for  your  intelligence  and 
nobleness,  have  sent  me  here  to  meet  you. 
Thus  have  I  loitered  near  the  Temple,  that 
I  might  eagerly  devour  your  first  conjec- 
ture." 

He  then  waited  for  me  to  reply,  and  I 
summoned  all  my  powers  to  act  the  noble 
part ;    although,    had    a    dozen    swords' 


112 


TIIE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;   OR, 


points  pierced  me  through,  I  had  suffer- 
ed less  than  what  was  now  galling  me  to 
the  very  soul.  And  he  so  innocent  of 
what  was  moving  me  ! 

"  My  friend,"  I  said,  with  some  caution, 
"  too  much  we  value  things  so  mortal,  and 
too  hastily  surmise  the  coming  end.  Take 
less  to  heart,  and  more  control  on  the  feel- 
ings keep,  while  sterner  judgment  and 
time  and  sure  events  work  out  these  mys- 
teries. Think  you  no  one  else  has  ever 
borne  such  woful  loss,  and  yet  controlled 
and  hidden  it  from  even  a  friend's  sus- 
picion ? " 

Wadsworth.— "  Oh,  that  could  not  be! 
When  two  souls  so  tenderly  love,  they 
will  speak  though  Heaven  frowns.  Oh, 
say  not  that  mortal  ever  so  loved  fair 
woman,  and  concealed  it,  for  it  is  in  the 
nature  of  things  impossible — impossi- 
ble ! " 

"  I  think  'tis  possible— quite  possible  ! 
Indeed,  I  have  heard  it  so  said,  the  deep- 
est love  in  silence  lives,  and  bides  the 
powers  above.  Know  you  all  the  history 
of  this  gentle  lady  ?  " 

Wadsworth,— "  Oh  !  indeed,  I  know  it 
well.  But  no,  perhaps  not  all ;  for  so 
gentle  and  kind  a  one  has  a  history  in 
every  hour's  thought,  and  since  she  has 
passed  some  twenty  years,  of  course  I 
cannot  know  it  all,  though  much  1  trace 
it  back,  of  what  she  was  by  what  she  is, 
and  so  do  full  acquit  myseif  I  know  the 
whole.  What  of  her?  For  if  in  any- 
thing past  you  can  unravel  something 
leading  on  to  the  time  present,  it  may 
much  mystery  explain." 

"  Well,  then — for  my  attachment  to  you 
is  quite  equal  to  your  admiration  of  him 
whom  you  have  sought  to  comfort  you — 
let  me  tell  you  of  this  fair  one,  who  has 
no  superior  in  this  world.  She  was  once 
a  child,  and,  as  such,  played  as  children 
do,  wore  short  dresses,  and  at  times  went 
out  in  the  sun  without  her  bonnet.  Friv- 
olous, this,  to  tell ;  but  no,  you  shall  hear. 
Along  with  her,  and  with  other  children, 
too,  was  a  little  boy,  called  by  the  others 
Freckle-face,  always  in  mischief,  always 
teasing  all  the  other  children.  Only  gentle 
Ann  he  never  crossed,  but  kindly  treated. 
When  she  lost  her  bonnet,  he  brought  it 
her,  and  playfully  tied  it  on,  and  she  re- 
garded him  well.  Anon  the  other  chil- 
dren teased  them  both,  because  of  their 
affections,  and  this  nearer  brought  the 
primitive  loves  to  each  other,  till,  though 
in  almost  infant  years,  they  betrothed 
themselves.  Long  they  lived  so — one, 
two,  three,  four  long  years — and  their 
affection  became  a  type  of  purity  and 
nobleness  to  all  the  neighbors.     The  par- 


ents of  each  were  about  equal  in  rank, 
wealth,  and  culture,  and  much  approved 
the  intended  marriage.  But,  as  all  peo- 
ple are  subject  to  die,  so  the  hoy's  parents 
both  died,  leaving  him  heir  to  a  great 
fortune.  The  boy  was  taken  by  an  uncle, 
to  be  educated  and  cared  for  till  he  came 
to  maturity.  This  uncle  had  a  daughter, 
cousin  to  the  boy,  who  was  now  set  upon 
by  several  indirect  methods,  of  which  he 
knew  nothing,  to  be  won  over  to  marry 
the  cwusin,  and  so  forsake  gentle  Ann. 
He  was  then  in  his  seventeenth  year,  and 
needs  must  remain  with  his  uncle  four 
years,  according  to  the  will  and  testa- 
ment of  his  own  father.  He  was  forced 
into  the  society  of  his  cousin,  but  no 
mutual  love  ever  sprang  up  between  them  ; 
and,  on  the  other  hand,  he  was  told  falsely 
about  his  dear,  gentle  Ann ;  that,  as  she 
was  only  a  child  of  thirteen,  she  had  since 
discarded  him,  and  taken  up  with  other 
lovers.  He  did  not  believe  it,  however, 
but  rested  his  faith  in  the  All-ruling 
Power  above  to  restore  him,  some  day, 
to  the  dear  one  of  his  choice.  After  he 
had  been  absent  two  years,  he  fled  from 
his  uncle's  house,  and  over  the  mountains 
of  Virginia  travelled  on  foot  two  hundred 
miles  to  see  his  long-absent  love.  And  he 
saw  her,  and  they  renewed  their  pledges 
with  more  warmth  than  ever ;  but  were 
scarcely  done  greeting  each  other,  when 
the  rude  uncle  came  upon  them,  and,  bid- 
ding him  remember  the  will  and  testament 
of  his  father,  succeeded  in  carrying  the 
boy  back  again  to  his  place  of  abode. 
Not  long  after  this  the  young  man— for 
he  was  no  longer  a  child — heard  that 
Judge  Francis  Underbill  had  gone  to 
Europe,  and  that  the  dear  one  had  totally 
abandoned  him.  He  became  depressed 
and  isolated,  but  at  maturity,  coming  into 
possession  of  a  great  estate,  he  came  to 
this  city,  where  he  again  met  his  long-lost 
one,  but  they  met  coldly.  The  stories  told 
to  each  of  the  other  had  chilled  the  love 
between  them,  and  neither  one  would  ven- 
ture again  in  the  sacred  channel.  At  times 
tbey  would  walk  together,  or  playfully  al- 
lude to  the  days  of  childhood,  but  a  power 
more  than  mortal  ever  seemed  to  stand  be- 
tween them.  A  thousand  times  did  he  try 
to  overcome  the  awful  barrier,  and  a  thou- 
sand opportunities  did  she  offer,  but 
whither  the  recollection  of  the  malicious 
stories  told,  or  whether  Heaven  itself  in- 
tervened, I  know  not ;  but  their  broken 
hearts  both  felt  the  loss  of  a  world,  and 
were  silent  in  it.  But  hers  was  not  a  heart 
of  love  to  love  in  vain ;  her  charms  fell 
upon  one  of  the  noblest  men  I  ever  saw — 
one  of  the  most  innocent  and  virtuous ; 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


113 


and  he  gave  her  a  warmer  and  dearer  love  I  heart  asunder  ;  you  have  laid  bare  every 
than  the  other  ever  could— and  you  are  portal  whereon  lived  my  happiness  !  But 
that  man  !  "  I  tell  me — tell  me  of  the  young  man  ! !' 

"  In  mercy's  name,  you  have  torn  my  I      "  I  am  he  !  " 


CHAPTEE    XIV 


BEING  A  PART  OF  THIS  GREAT  HISTORY  WHICH  WAS  NEVER  BEFORE  WRITTEN,  ABOUT  THE  SPECIAL 
DOINGS  OF  SOME  OF  THE  GREATEST  MEN  OF  THE  AGE,  AND  APPROVED  BY  THE  COURTS  OF  JUDGE 
FRANCIS  UXDERII1LL,  OF  LOUDON  HEIGHTS,  AND  WITH  THE  APPROVAL  OF  THEIR  AUTHORS. 


I  told  Jenkins  that,  although  the  above 
heading  was  quite  Congressional^  I  could 
not  see  exactly  what  the  meaning  was. 

"  Why,  I'll  tell  you,"  said  he,  "  for  you 
must  know  that  every  sentence  of  a  great 
author  is  weighed  by  critics,  and  judged 
accordingly.  We,  you  know,  must  have 
our  style.  Every  one  his  own  way.  One 
man  sets  out  to  tell  you  a  story  with  a  be- 
ginning as  follows,  to  wit :  '  Two  mysteri- 
ous beings  were  seen  at  early  morning  in 
a  boat  in  the  river  Thames,  in  coarse  ha- 
biliments, in  close  proximity  and  earnest 
attitude,  in  silence  rowing.  One  was  a 
female  figure  in  the  bloom  of  youth,  in  the 
stern  of  the  boat,  in  a  loose  old  gown  in 
reduced  circumstances.  The  other  was 
that  of  a  male  companion,  in  a  drowsy 
slouch  hat,  in  bending  form,  with  silvery, 
uncombed  locks,  in  the  middle  of  the 
boat,  rowing,  and  pulling  something  that 
looked  like  it  might  be  something ' — and 
so  on.  Now,  you  know  our  style  would 
be  :  '  An  old  man  and  his  daughter  by  the 
name  of  Smith  searched  for  dead  bodies 
in  the  Thames.  One  morning,  having 
found  the  corpse  of  some  unfortunate, 
they  took  it  in  the  boat  and  rowed  down 
the  river ' — and  so  on.  The  style  is  every- 
thing. The  weary  man,  the  business  man, 
the  active  mind  of  this  age  can  fill  in ; 
give  them  the  points,  and  tease  not  with 
such  worthless  stuff." 

1  told  Jenkins  that  the  reader  of  this 
history  would  be  too  much  interested  in 
the  fate  of  some,  and  not  enough  in  the 
fate  of  others  connected  with  it. 

"  I  want  no  Lucy  Dashwoods,"  said  he, 
"  for  my  model.  The  interest  was  there 
kept  back,  and  it  made  an  accidental 
glory ;  it  was,  in  fact,  an  Eva's  death  to 
the  book,  and  made  it  live." 

Said  I,  "  Do  you  suppose  you  can  make 
a  sweet  young  girl  halt  here  and  read  Bu- 
chanan's politics,  or  about  a  peace  conven- 
tion ?     Would  she  not  be  skipping  over  to 


see  how  it  came  out  with  the  Judge  and 
Vickey,  and  Prescott,  and  gentle  Ann  and 
Wadsworth  and  the  old  maid  and  your- 
self? Then  there  are  Madame  Poncbard 
and  Orsini  ;  will  not  the  writers  of  history 
skip  over  your  love  affairs,  to  ascertain  the 
part  they  played  in  the  beginning  of  the 
great  rebellion  ? " 

"  No,  indeed  !  "  said  he.  "  If  you  will 
be  patient,  I  shall  here  read  you  such  a 
chapter  as  you  never  dreamed  of."  He 
then  took  up  his  glass,  and  smiled.  I 
asked  him  what  he  smiled  at. 

"  At  wit,"  said  he.  "  I  smile  at  wit. 
Only  a  short  time  since  a  man  wrote  a 
poem,  stating  in  the  preface  that  he  wrote 
so  funnily,  that,  when  he  took  it  to  the 
publisher,  the  latter  laughed  from  ear  to 
ear,  and  that  all  the  buttons  flew  off  the 
poor  fellow's  coat  with  laughter.  The  au- 
thor then  goes  on  to  state,  that  after  that 
he  never  dared  to  write  so  funny  as  he 
could.     Very  witty,  was  it  not  ? " 

Being  anxious  to  get  on  with  the  his- 
tory, I  urged  him  to  proceed  with  the 
translation ;  and  he  immediately  took  up 
his  notes,  and  began  with  these  very- 
words,  to  wit : 

My  position  as  reporter  had  made  me 
quite  an  important  person  in  the  estima- 
tion of  many  people.  Slave-hun  ters  always 
came  to  me,  and  also  to  Prescott,  to  learn 
all  the  hiding-places  of  Washington,  and, 
in  fact,  of  many  other  cities.  Now  it  so 
happened,  that  the  man  who  came  down 
the  avenue  when  I  had  been  gallanting 
the  old  maid  with  ber  new  plumpers,  was 
Russel,  the  slave-catcher.  As  soon  as  we 
were  alone,  he  began.  Said  he,  "lama 
Baltimorean,  and  live  in  Jefferson  street, 
that  city.  Two  ladies  have  taken  a  house 
next  door  to  me,  and  have  acted  so  mys- 
teriously about  it,  that  I  do  suppose  them 
to  be  Abolitionists,  and  that  they  keep,  in 
fact,  a  depot  for  the  underground  rail- 


114 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


road.  My  business  has  been  for  many 
years  to  assist  in  capturing  runaways,  and 
I  scarcely  ever  err  in  my  judgment  of 
people.  The  stories  circulated  about,  that 
the  fugitives  Kate  and  Lizzie  arc  off  to 
Canada,  or  are  captured  and  sunt  home, 
are  all  false.  I  am  too  cunning  for  that. 
I  have  long  heard  of  you,  Mr.  Jenkins. 
You  have  figured  a  good  many  years  as  a 
writer ;  our  occupations  are  nearly  the 
same." 

I  did  not  feel  flattered  by  so  rough  a 
comparison,  but  made  no  answer;  for,  in 
fact,  he  talked  so  fast  I  could  not.  He 
called  a  man  to  take  his  horse  to  the 
Jackson  House,  and  then  he  urged  me  to 
accompany  him,  having  in  a  single  sen- 
tence informed  me  he  was  a  member  of 
the  Peace  Congress,  the  originator  of  the 
Bureau  of  Detection  and  Capture  Bill, 
and  that  neither  ex-Presidents  Pierce,  nor 
Tyler,  nor  Fillmore  could  claim  it.  What 
he  was  aiming  at  I  could  not  foresee,  nor 
could  I  imagine  the  cause  of  so  great  fa- 
miliarity of  words  at  first  meeting.  But 
I  soon  beheld  his  mistake ;  for  he,  in  the 
midst  of  his  ceaseless  talking,  informed 
me  that  the  clerk  of  the  Jackson  House 
had  told  him  I  could  be  relied  upon  as 
all  right  on  the  secession  and  slavery  ques- 
tions, because  I  was  an  Englishman.  He 
did  not  even  let  me  have  time  to  deny  it, 
but  talked,  talked  all  the  time  himself, 
till  we  neared  the  turn  leading  up  toward 
the  Patent  Office.  "  Well,  I  do  say,"  said 
he,  stopping  short  and  looking  at  a  lady 
who  had  just  passed,  and  whom  I  knew 
to  be  Madame  Ponchard,  "  if  there  is  not 
one  of  my  dearest  friends  !  I'll  stick  by 
her  till  doomsday,  and  I'll  leam  all  the 
particulars."  And  then  he  turned  abruptly 
away, looking  back, and  saying,  "Meet  me 
at  the  Peace  Congress  in  half  an  hour,  and 
such  things  as  I  shall  there  tell  you,  you 
shall  see ;  for  I  do  suspect  we  shall  have 
an  uphill  time  of  it.  You  Englishmen 
are  better  skilled  in  the  accomplishment 
of  destroying  nations,  and  you  shall  have 
plenty  of  work,  my  word,  as  you  say  in 
England." 

There  I  stood,  looking  after  him,  and 
he  going  away  and  talking  every  moment 
as  fast  as  he  could.  In  fact,  I  pitied  him, 
for  his  ideas  seemed  to  come  much  faster 
than  he  could  talk.  But  such  strange  con- 
duct in  a  stranger  to  me  left  me  bewildered 
as  to  who  he  was  and  what  he  wanted  with 
me.  He  followed  after  the  Madame,  anon 
looking  back  to  me  and  shaking  his  finger 
and  smiling  like  a  horse-jockey.  He  was 
a  stout,  good-looking,  middle-aged  man, 
and  seemed  a  man  of  business  and  many 
jokes,  and  inclined  to  say  everything  him- 


self. Of  course  I  was  left  alone,  and  a  lit- 
tle embarrassed  about  receiving  such  treat- 
ment from  a  stranger ;  but  he  seemed  so 
good-humored,  that  I  entertained  only  the 
best  of  feeling  toward  him.  Not  daring 
to  go  back  to  the  Jackson  House  lest  that 
mischievous  clerk  should  bore  me  about 
the  old  maid,  I  loitered  slowly  along  till 
I  came  to  the  halls  of  the  Peace  Congress, 
whereat  it  has  been  prophesied  there  shall 
never,  to  the  end  of  all  time,  stand  a 
monument.  Near  the  doorway,  outside, 
stood  Floyd  and  young  Wise.  They  were 
looking  at  a  photograph  ;  it  was  of  the 
usual  size  called  carte-de-visite.  I  did  not 
look  at  it,  but  saw  enough  to  recognize  it 
as  Madame  Ponchard.  Floyd  wished  to 
avoid  me,  and  he  went  in  the  house.  Wise 
seemed  suspicious  of  me,  but  he  remained 
in  the  same  place.  Ex-President  Tyler 
then  came  up  and  spoke  to  Wise,  and  they 
both  went  in  together. 

The  hall  was  very  large,  and  ingress 
only  permitted  to  the  officials.  You  can- 
not imagine  my  surprise  at  seeing  my 
stranger  friend  already  in  the  hall.  I 
had  left  him  following  Madame  Pon- 
chard, going  in  an  entirely  different  direc- 
tion, and  now  found  him  as  a  member  of 
the  Peace  Congress,  safely  and  quietly 
smiling  at  everybody,  and  propjjed  up 
near  the  doorway,  ears  and  eyes  for  every- 
thing present.  I  doubted,  at  first,  if  he 
were  the  same  man  ;  but  he  saw  me  look- 
ing at  him,  and  he  tossed  up  his  finger, 
and  nodded  and  smiled  as  if  he  had 
known  me  for  years.  Thinks  I  to  myself, 
this  Peace  Congress  is  a  curious  conglom- 
eration ;  for  I  beheld  the  venerable  Crit- 
tenden, and  others  equally  honest  in  their 
endeavors  to  compromise  the  trouble  be- 
tween the  North  and  South,  here  silting 
beside  the  most  rampant  fire-eaters  of  the 
South.  A  man  near  me  then  touched  my 
shoulder,  saying,  "  Why,  have  they  got 
Buchanan's  statue  here  ?  "  and  he  pointed 
toward  the  left-hand  chair,  whither  I  cast 
my  eye,  and  there  saw,  to  all  appearance, 
a  marble  figure  like  our  present  President. 
But  while  we  looked  at  it,  it  raised  its 
hand,  and  my  friend  said,  "  What !  is  it 
he  ? "  For  it  was,  and  he  beckoned  for 
me  to  come  over  to  him.  He  was  as  pale 
and  death- like  as  a  corpse.  All  eyes  were 
now  turned  on  me,  and  I  felt  somewhat 
embarrassed  as  I  went  forward.  He  raised 
up  to  receive  me,  and,  bursting  into  tears, 
exclaimed, 

"  Oh,  Jenkins !  Jenkins !   come  to   my 
relief ! 
I  am  so  harassed  by  these  partisans, 
Ice  would  not  melt  in  my  most  fevered 
blood. 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


115 


Think  you  that  I  am  dead,  or  living  ? 
For  really,  there  comes  such  a  flood  of 

doubt 
O'er  my  palsied  vision,  I  am  lost, 
And  live,  alas  !  but  live  in  reveries." 

I  was  at  loss  to  reply,  for  the  house  was 
not  organized,  and  I  knew  every  one  was 
looking  for  me  to  say  something  excellent. 
"  I  know  no  man,"  said  I,  "  since  first 
the  world  began, 
That  ever  had  such  heads  to  battle  with. 
Giants  are  boxing  with  a  new-born  babe, 
The  which  this  nation  feeds  with  choicest 

food, 
And  promises  of  blood  and  priceless  treas- 
ures, 
But  the  child  calls  not,  and  the   giants 

crush  it. 
"We  pity  you— we  pity  James  Buchanan, 
Sworn  to  defend  the  Constitution, 
Though  incapacitated  for  the  work, 
Not  by  your  own  weakness,  sir,  but  others' 
strength." 
Buchanan. — "  Ay,   that's   the  point ;    I 
can't  cope  with  such  odds. 
I  am  so  tied  to  the  Constitution — 
There  is  the  matter — and  these  court  de- 
cisions. 
Methinks,  sometimes,  when  I  read  Justice 

Taney, 
That  angels  might  be  profited  by  him, 
And  made  more  constitutional  in  heaven. 
There  is  such  seeming  random  in  men's 

minds 
Of  late,  and  they  shoot  out  such  wicked 

notions 
About  the  Constitution,  I  do  think, 
Christian  as  I  am,  Satan  roves  scot  free 
All  o'er  the  country." 

Jenkins. — "  And  it  behooves  us 
To  guard  ourselves,  sir,  Mister  President, 
Lest  we  mistake  the  devil  for  true  angels." 
Buchanan. — "  And  how  are  we  to  know, 
forsooth,  but  by 
The  Constitution  ?  " 

And  he  smiled  in  triumph,  while  many 
of  the  ultra  pro-slavery  men  winked  and 
smiled  to  each  other,  and  whispered  aside, 
"  That's  it !  "  "  Keep  him  on  that  track ! " 
I  pretended  not  to  notice  what  was  pass- 
ing, and  was  relieved  from  further  reply- 
ing by  the  sound  of  the  gavel. 

Ex-President  Tyler  was  made  Chairman 
of  the  Peace  Congress,  and,  as  soon  as 
order  was  restored,  he  handed  the  secre- 
tary a  recommendation,  signed  by  nearly 
all  the  Democratic  party  of  the  State  of 
Massachusetts.  This  was  read  at  length  ; 
and  the  document  reflects  severer  on  the 
American  character  than  anything  of  the 
kind  ever  signed  by  a  civilized  people. 
It  was  while  this  document  was  being 
read,  that  the  police  appeared  at  the  door 


with  Madame  Ponchard.  I  knew,  but  I 
now  think  no  one  present  knew,  what  the 
outside  row  was  about.  The  commotion 
in  the  Peace  Congress  was  greater  than  I 
ever  before  beheld.  We  would  fain  rush 
to  the  door,  for  Madame  Ponchard's  arrest 
was  deemed  almost  equivalent  to  a  declar- 
ation of  war ;  yet  we  were  so  intent  on 
knowing  what  the  document  held  forth, 
we  dared  not  move.  Six  or  seven  mem- 
bers left,  the  balance  of  us  remained. 

The  document  was  said  to  be  signed  by 
half  a  million  people  of  Massachusetts. 
But  was  it  genuine  ? — that  was  the  ques- 
tion ;  or  was  it  gotten  up  by  Fillmore,  and 
Davis,  and  Toombs,  as  a  make-believe  for 
peace  ?  It  proposed  to  please  the  South 
by  disenfranchising  a  large  portion  of  the 
people  of  Massachusetts  on  account  of  the 
color  of  their  skin ;  it  proposed  to  let 
slave-owners  bring  their  slaves  into  Mas- 
sachusetts, and  to  jirotect  them  while 
there ;  it  proposed  to  establish  in  every 
township  a  whipping-post  for  runaway 
slaves ;  it  proposed  to  pay  the  slave- 
owner for  every  slave  coming  into  Massa- 
chusetts, if  not  captured  ;  it  proposed  to 
make  it  lawful  to  buy  and  sell  slaves  in 
Massachusetts,  if  not  to  remain  there ;  it 
proposed  to  divide  all  the  Western  terri- 
tory, half  and  half,  for  slavery  and  free- 
dom ;  it  proposed  to  keep  up  the  balance 
of  power  for  the  slave  States,  by  purchas- 
ing or  taking  by  force  Central  America 
and  the  West  India  islands ;  and  all  that 
this  great  State  of  Massachusetts  asked 
in  return,  was  summed  up  in  four  words 
— Pray  don't  fight  us  ! 

Hardly  had  this,  the  most  remarkable 
document  ever  signed  by  a  Christian  peo- 
ple, been  read,  when  up  jumps  a  little  fel- 
low with  a  whining  voice,  holding  up  a 
paper  not  two  yards  in  front  of  me,  shout- 
ing out,  "  Mr.  President !  Mr.  President ! 

if  it   be  in  order "  and  he  stretched 

himself  up  and  smacked  his  lips,  smiling, 
and  he  slapped  on  the  paper  with  his 
band,  "  I  will  read  you  a  brief  answer  to 
that."  Again  he  smiled,  and  twisted  his 
lips  like  a  member  of  Parliament.  I  saw 
the  writing,  and  knew  it  to  be  in  Toombs' 
hand  ;  it  was  written  on  foolscap.  It  was 
twenty  pages ;  the  substance  of  it  was  : 
"  We,  Southern  members  of  the  Peace 
Congress,  have  heard  the  propositions  of 
Massachusetts,  and  we  reject  them,  be- 
cause she  does  not  give  as  much  as  we 
want,  and  because  we  do  want  what  we 
are  determined  to  have." 

"  Like  a  love-sick  belle,  never  satisfied ! " 
said  a  voice  in  a  far-off  corner,  whither  I 
looked,  and  now  beheld  Judge  Francis 
Underbill,  of  Loudon  Heights,  spreading 


116 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


himself,  and  adjusting  his  old  silver  spec- 
tacles. "  'Tis  ever  the  plight  of  a  girl  of 
seventeen.  Her  ardent  lover  tells  her  he 
gives  his  whole  heart,  his  wealth,  his  mus- 
cle, his  name,  his  very  soul,  if  she  will  but 
let  him  love  her.  Then  she  proudly  asks, 
'  Will  you  not  give  more  ? '  Here  is  a 
leading  State  offering  you  everything — 
even  promising  to  rob  her  own  citizens  to 
please  you.  Hardly  are  her  proposals 
read,  when  your  heir-expectant  jumps  up, 
and  reads  a  previously  written  speech, 
saying,  '  Give  us  more !  Give  us  a  good 
deal  more ! '  Massachusetts  offers  to  make 
a  heathen  of  herself  rather  than  have  any 
trouble  with  you.  She  is  a  cowardly  cur, 
and  the  South  is  a  greedy  hog." 

Before  he  said  more,  the  Chairman  call- 
ed him  to  order,  but  all  the  while  were 
others  rising,  shouting  out,  "  Mr.  Presi- 
dent !  "  "  Mr.  President !  "  and  trying  to 
get  the  floor.  Finally  the  small  man  with 
the  whining  voice  got  ahead,  and  sharply 
demanded  wrho  the  Judge  was  ?  "  An 
Abolitionist ! "  "  an  Abolitionist ! "  shouted 
out  several  others,  some  of  whom  roared 
out,  "  His  niece  and  he  run  the  under- 
ground railroad  !  "  Buchanan  then  pulled 
my  arm,  and  bade  me  sit  beside  him,  say- 
ing to  me,  "Do  you  think  there'll  be  a 
row  ?  Oh,  for  God's  sake,  I  wish  I  were 
home  ! "  and  he  was  even  paler  than  be- 
fore ;  but  I  cheered  him  up,  and  urged 
him  to  remember  that,  as  long  as  he  stood 
by  the  Constitution,  he  was  safe. 

"Oh,  I  have  had  such  a  time  ! "  said 
he,  in  a  whisper,  and  he  pulled  my  head 
over  to  him,  shaking  badly  all  the  while. 
"  Those  Commissioners  have  been  to  see 
me  !  Oh,  what  shall  I  do  ?  They  might 
come  in  here  !  "When  I  told  them  I  could 
find  no  law  in  the  Constitution  empower- 
ing me  to  sell  all  the  Southern  forts  and 
arsenals,  they  said  I  must  read  it  again, 
and  find  it,  or  they  would  wring  my  neck. 
For  two  days  and  nights  I  have  read  it, 
and  I  can't  find  the  place.  Oh,  what  shall 
I  do  if  this  Peace  Congress  miscarry  ? 
Where  shall  rest  the  head  of  the  last  of 
the  American  Presidents  ?  " 

I  thought  indeed  the  old  man's  fears 
had  deranged  his  judgment,  and  I  longed 
for  some  interruption,  to  put  a  stop  to  his 
earnest  whisperings.  But  while  he  was 
thus  pleading  to  me,  the  little  whining 
man  was  talking  about  the  North  agi- 
tating the  slave  question,  and  hoping  they 
would  continue  at  it  till  they  fired  every 
Southern  heart.  He  was  happy  to  hear 
they  were  stretching  cables  across  the  Mis- 
sissippi, and  that  suspended  Abolitionists 
were  ornamenting  every  Southern  forest. 
He  went  in  for  the  Union  as  much  as  did 


any  other  man ;  the  Constitution  was 
framed  by  the  wisest  men  in  the  world, 
and  he  revered  it.  He  deprecated  seces- 
sion ;  it  would  bring  sure  ruin  on  the 
South.  But  he  was  sworn  to  fight  to  the 
last  for  Southern  rights — and  for  State 
rights,  too  ;  and  when  he  could  find  no 
one  South  ready  to  fight  with  him  against 
these  Abolition  usurpers,  he  would  go 
single-handed.  He  would  take  the  torch 
in  one  hand  and  a  bowie  knife  in  the 
other,  and  wade  through  blood  and  fire 
till  he  had  vanquished  the  whole  mudsill 
race  of  the  North. 

This  was  Stephens.  His  braggadocio 
made  the  house  quiet,  for  we  longed  to 
hear  what  all  he  could  say ;  though  Bu- 
chanan kept  continually  whispering  in 
my  ear,  and  I  heeded  little  more  than  the 
tenor  of  the  speaker's  speech.  When  he 
ceased,  Crittenden  presented  his  resolu- 
tions, the  substance  of  which  was— all 
the  new  States  hereafter  added  on  the 
Western  frontier  should  be  slave  States, 
if  south  of  a  certain  line ;  or  free,  if  north 
of  the  line ;  that  there  should  be  incor- 
porated in  the  Constitution  a  fixed  law 
to  prevent  future  generations,  as  well  as 
the  present,  from  ever  interfering  with  the 
growth  and  moral  influence  of  slavery. 
After  his  resolutions  he  made  a  speech, 
and  we  all  saw  in  him  the  heart  of  an 
honest  man.  He  wept  while  he  spake, 
and  Fillmore  and  others  also  shed  tears. 
But  his  resolutions  were  too  much  against 
the  North,  and  not  enough  in  favor  of  the 
South.  He,  too,  beheld  the  inadequacy, 
and  then  his  good,  honest  heart  gave  way. 
Exhausted,  and  beholding  the  insurmount- 
able end,  he  finished  his  speech  by  implor- 
ing aid  from  on  High,  even  while  covering 
his  face  with  both  hands,  and  falling  into 
his  seat.  And  when  he  sat  down,  it  was 
like  the  going  out  of  a  lone  star  in  the 
dark  night ;  he  had  failed  to  carry  his 
measures,  and  now  were  five-and-thirty 
millions  of  people  without  a  ray  of  hope. 
Compromise  was  buried ;  Mars,  muffled 
yet,  but  clad  in  armor,  strode  o'er  all 
America,  and  with  the  craft  of  long  ex- 
perience ;  for  this  was  not  the  end  of  the 
Peace  Congress,  but  it  lingered  many 
weeks,  though  as  a  tool  in  aid  of  the  fire- 
eaters.  Though  we  saw  the  end  in  the 
outset,  we  had  not  measured  strategy  with 
Davis,  Toombs,  and  Stephens.  Their  craft 
must  hold  out  a  hope,  by  pretended  love 
for  the  Union,  while  their  armament  was 
being  put  in  trim  to  destroy  it.  Even 
Crittenden  was  blinded  by  them,  and 
made  to  hope  against  hope.  And  far 
down  South  did  all  the  newspapers  and 
hired  speakers  berate  the  non-conceding 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


117 


terms  of  the  North.  Miles  was  hired  for 
five  thousand  dollars,  and  all  expenses 
paid,  to  lecture  South,  and  to  tell  the 
people  that  the  Northerners  would  con- 
cede nothing  ;  and  that  Massachusetts  de- 
manded the  unconditional  abolition  of 
slavery ;  and  the  people  South  believed 
him.  Cobb  was  hired  for  two  thousand 
dollars,  for  the  same  purpose,  and  the 
people  of  Georgia  believed  him.  Iverson 
was  hired  for  six  thousand  to  employ 
General  Twiggs  to  betray  his  part  of  the 
national  army  over  to  the  Southern  cause, 
and  Twiggs  did  it ;  but  his  soldiers,  good, 
brave  hearts,  deserted  their  traitorous 
leader. 

These  subjects  were  discussed  in  the 
Peace  Congress,  and  immediately  after 
Crittenden's  speech.  And  these  things 
caused  him  to  fear  for  the  result ;  and, 
thus  despairing  of  the  nation's  cause,  he 
had  put  forth  his  eloquence  but  to  bleed 
his  own  heart.  Not  so  with  Fillmore  and 
Davis.  They  wept  because  they  beheld 
the  prospective  downfall  of  an  old  party. 
So,  when  the  floor  was  clear,  they  were 
ready  with  threats  of  vengeance,  some  of 
tneni  declaring  that  a  raid  of  a  thousand 
men  could  decapitate  the  President  and 
Cabinet  in  two  hours'  time.  I  saw  that 
Buchanan  was  excited,  and  he  pulled  me 
over  to  him  again,  asking  if  they  meant 
him,  or  Lincoln.  I  told  him  Lincoln. 
"  O  God,  I  hope  so  !  "  said  he  ;  "  no— I 
mean,  I  hope  they  may  not  decapitate  me, 
nor  Lincoln  neither.  Is  not  this  terrible 
— terrible  !  "  and  he  cried  like  a  child. 

"  It  appears  to  me,"  said  a  voice,  "  there 
is  unnecessary  quibbling  here.  These  are 
demonstrations  denoting  anything  but  a 
Peace  Congress.  Do  you  not  behold  what 
unnecessary  pain  you  give  his  Excellency, 
the  President  ?  These  vituperations  are, 
in  my  humble  opinion,  at  variance  with 
the  designs  of  this  Congress,  and  wholly 
unnecessary  and  uncalled-for." 

I  turned  to  look  at  the  speaker,  for  the 
word  unnecessary,  coming  in  so  often,  made 
me  fear  I  had  really  gotten  into  the  British 
Parliament.  I  did  not  know  the  man  ;  he 
wTas  past  the  middle  age,  a  little  bald,  with 
a  flushed  face. 

"  It  appears  to  me,  if  I  may  add,"  he 
continued,  "  that  an  assemblage  of  this 
sort  is  unnecessarily  resorting  to  the  ad 
captandum  on  one  side,  and  quite  as  un- 
necessarily resorting  to  the  nil  ad  captan- 
dum on  the  other,  and  that  no  end  will 
come  of  it,  unless  it  is  in  strict  adherence, 
which  it  ought  necessarily  to  be  in  order 
to  achieve  the  called-for  objects." 

As  he  was  going  on  in  this  style,  I  heard 
some  one  whisper  that  he  was  one  of  the 


Russels,  a  correspondent  of  a  paper  pub- 
lished in  England  called  the  London 
Times.  The  other  Russel  was  there,  but 
I  could  see  no  family  resemblance,  nor 
could  I  imagine  what  business  such  a 
man  had  in  our  Peace  Congress.  He 
spoke  for  half  an  hour,  and  the  substance 
of  his  remarks,  translated  in  English, 
was : 

"  You  are  very  foolish.  We  great  states- 
men on  the  other  side  the  water  have  long 
told  you  you  would  come  to  pieces,  and 
now  you  see  it.  We  pity  you,  and  are 
ready  and  willing  to  advise  you  in  your 
distress ;  and  we  trust,  too,  you  are  such 
a  young  people,  while  we  are  so  old  and 
full  of  experience,  you  will  heed  what  we 
say  to  you.  You  may  be,  to  be  sure,  sixty 
or  seventy  years,  but  still  you  are  very 
young.  We  may  be  only  sixty  or  seventy, 
but  then  we  are  a  very  old  people.  You 
must  remember  that  we  once  attempted 
to  coerce  your  colonies,  and  that  we  fail- 
ed. All  the  colonies,  at  that  time,  were 
not  half  as  powerful  as  are  your  present 
dissatisfied  States,  and  the  result  is  mani- 
fest to  the  weakest  mind.  Still,  I  can 
assure  you  we  are  on  friendly  terms  with 
you  both,  and  should  remain,  in  the  con- 
test, your  neutral  well-wisher." 

I  then  asked  several  gentlemen  if  the 
man  was  William  H.  Russel  of  the  Lon- 
don Times  ;  but  I  failed  to  learn  for  cer- 
tain, neither  had  I  any  evidence  that  said 
Russel  had  been  imported  for  the  seces- 
sion cause.  Stephens  told  me  that  South 
Carolina  had  already  sent  over  emissaries 
to  England  and  France,  but  he  said  he 
knew  not  who  they  were.  When  the 
speaker  resumed  his  seat,  my  stranger 
friend  then  came  forward  and  greeted 
him  very  cordially,  many  of  the  people 
expressing  their  surprise  at  such  a  pro- 
ceeding in  a  Peace  Congress.  Tyler  did 
not  call  order  then,  but  leaned  over,  talk- 
ing to  Stephens.  Many  of  the  people 
were  whispering,  or  rather  muttering  with 
one  another.  My  stranger  friend  and  the 
last  speaker  then  started  for  the  door. 
Toombs  was  about  to  speak,  but  at  that 
instant  we  heard  a  voice  at  the  door  say, 
"  That  is  the  man — arrest  him  !  "  I  look- 
ed out,  and  beheld  Prescott.  Two  police 
were  with  him,  and  they  advanced  to  my 
stranger  friend,  whom  they  took  prisoner. 
He  swore  violently,  and  demanded  the 
reason.  Floyd  and  others  then  sprang  up 
and  rushed  lor  the  door.  When  I  started, 
Buchanan  pulled  at  my  coat,  and  I  dragged 
him  a  little.  "  Oh,  Jenkins  !  Jenkins  ! 
don't  leave  me !  don't  leave  me !  "  he 
said,  and  he  stared  wildly  out  of  the 
door.     "  The  South  Carolina  Commission- 


118 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


ers  are  coming  !  They'll  wring  my  neck  ! 
They  said  they  would  !  It  is  not  in  the 
Constitution.  Oh,  don't  leave  me,  for 
Heaven's  sake  !  they  \\  ill  wring  my  neck  !  " 
Had  he  not  been  so  pale  and  frightened, 
I  should  have  laughed  ;  but  he  clung  to 
me  as  close  as  Sancho  Panza  did  to  Don 
Quixote  when  they  heard  the  fulling 
mills,  and  I  did  not  know  but  the  like 
consequences  would  result  from  the  fright. 
At  that  moment,  however,  Tyler  declared 
the  Congress  adjourned  till  next  day  at 
twelve  o'clock,  and  he  and  Toombs  and 
Davis  joined  arms  and  walked  off  to- 
gether. Buchanan  would  not  go  himself, 
nor  let  me.  I  urged  him  to  believe  there 
was  no  danger ;  I  told  him  it  was  another 
affair  altogether,  outside  the  house ;  but 
he  stared  with  great  consternation  toward 
the  door,  frequently  saying,  "  It  is  not  in 
the  Constitution.  Oh,  those  Commission- 
ers !  What  shall  I  do  ?  "  I  then  started 
with  renewed  force,  most  of  the  crowd 
having  gone  out,  the  President  still  cling- 
ing to  me  with  one  hand,  and  with  the 
other  pointing  toward  the  door  in  the 
most  abject  fear,  and  I  really  dragged 
him  out  with  me.  However  honored  I 
was  to  support  the  American  President 
to  his  carriage,  I  felt  full  as  much  shame 
with  the  burden  as  did  Dr.  Johnson  with 
his  drunken  woman. 

"  I  tell  you,  Jenkins,"  said  he,  as  we 
stood  waiting  for  the  carriage,  "  you  can- 
not imagine  the  terrors  around  me.     Only 


a  few  days  ago,  that  imperturbable  Pres- 
cott  crammed  such  arguments  down  my 
throat,  and,  sir,  sir,  he  said,  if  I  sold  the 
forts,  I  would  commit  perjury  before  God. 
Yes,  sir ;  and  he  did  so  enforce  his  views 
on  me,  that  a  deliriousness  of  mind  has 
made  me  more  the  tool  of  other  folks  than 
I  was  before.  Oh,  sir,  such  a  fire  as  he 
placed  me  in — God  and  heaven  on  one 
side,  and  my  party  on  the  other ;  aud  thoy 
threaten  me  so  terribly,  that  I  can  neither 
walk  ahead  nor  stand  still  for  the  danger 
of  them."  The  tears  rolled  down  his 
cheeks  as  he  spoke,  and  he  had  no  more 
color  than  the  driven  snow.  I  then  helped 
him  into  the  carriage,  and  he  pulled  me 
after  him,  saying,  "  For  God's  sake,  come 
in — see  me  safe  home  !  "  and  I  did  so  ac- 
cordingly. 

Here  the  writer  of  this  remarkable  his- 
tory waited  for  Jenkins  to  proceed,  but, 
on  looking  up,  beheld  him  penning  this 
line,  "End  of  this  Chapter."  "Now," 
said  I,  "  Jenkins,  whether  are  you  to  be 
the  author  of  this  book,  or  am  I  to  be  ?  " 
And  he  said,  "  You."  "  Well,  then,"  said 
I,  "  what  literal  truth  is  there  in  this  chap- 
ter ?  "  "  Things  cannot  always  be  in  lit- 
eral se..:>e,"  said  he.  "  Things  plain  and 
simple  may  be,  but  things  and  times  of 
great  importance  never  can  be.  You  will 
remember  Richard  the  Third  said,  'I  want 
a  horse — quick  ! '  but  the  historian  wrote 
it,  '  A  kingdom  for  a  horse ! ' " 


CHAPTER    XV. 


FIFTEENTH  SITTING  OF  THE  COURTS  OF  JUDGE  FRANCIS  UNDERBILL,  OF  LOUDON  HEIGHTS,  WHEREIN 
ARE  UNFOLDED  THINGS  OF  AN  UNUSUAL  CHARACTER  ABOUT  THE  NOW  ALL-ABSORBING  TOPIC  OF  WAR 
AND  THE  LOVE  AFFAIRS  OF  DIAMOND  WEDDINGS  WITH  A  RAINBOW  IN  THE  HEAVENS. 


"  Now,"  said  I,  after  I  had  read  the 
above  heading,  "  now,  Mr.  Jenkins,  that  is 
carrying  things  too  far !  One  would  think 
you  wTere  making  a  speech  at  the  Tuileries, 
or  fitting  up  yourself  for  a  foreign  minis- 
ter." 

"  What  one  ?  "  he  asked ;  and  I  told 
him  I  knew  not  who,  for  I  saw  that  even 
in  my  criticism  I  had  blundered.  Now  it 
so  happened  that  I  had  been,  years  ago, 
the  principal  witness  at  the  courts  of 
Judge  Francis,  and  that  Jenkins  was  only 
admitted  to  the  box  at  the  time  of  build- 
ing   the  new  Temple ;    consequently  my 


words  were  now  constructed  into  sentences 
under  his  approval,  which  accounted  for 
his  greater  vigilance. 

"  All  right ;  go  ahead  !  "  said  I,  and  he 
uplifted  his  huge  manuscript  and  read  off 
the  following,  to  wit : 

The  second  thing  in  importance,  now, 
to  the  contemplated  war  between  the 
North  and  South,  was  the  prospect  of  a 
diamond  wedding.  It  was  in  all  the  news- 
papers ;  it  was  issued  from  everybody's 
tongue  ;  but,  true  to  propriety,  the  names 
of  the  parties  were  withheld.     One  was 


LOVE  AND  WAR   IN   1860. 


119 


mentioned  as  the  wealthiest  and  noblest! 
citizen  of  Washington— a  man  somewhat! 
advanced,  to  be  sure,  but  still  as  vivacious 
and  hopeful  as  a  boy  of  twenty.     He  was 
no  less  a  person  than  the  Judge  of  that 
mysterious  court  of  etiquette  and  learning 
which  has  so  long  been  the  nucleus  of  men 
of  great  wealth  and  literary  attainments  ; 
he  was  one  of  the  oldest  inhabitants ;  he 
had   travelled  farther   and   learned   more 
than  any  other  man.    He  had  been  so  long 
and  ardently  watching  over  the  affairs  of 
the  nation,  that  he  had  neglected  himself; 
but,  just  in  the  nick  of  time,  he  had  cast 
his  glories  before  one  of  the  most  enchant- 
ing, amiable  beauties  that  ever  appeared 
in  the  Capital.    She  was  also  a  millionnaire, 
and  of  course  the  envy  of  her  sex  ;   she 
ruled  the  fashions  ;  she  was  the  belle,  the 
queen   of    the   city    of    queens,   and    her 
beautv  as  rich  and  rare  as  ever  the  sun 
shone" on.     Thus  read  all  the  papers  ;  thus 
said  all  the  ladies;   thus    talked  all  the 
gentlemen,  and  rumor  and  curiosity  exag- 
gerated the  stories  till  the  like  was  never 
seen  before  in  any  age.      But,  strange  to 
sav,  no  one  knew  who  the  lady  was ;  no 
one,  save  one,  knew  who  wrote  the  articles 
for  the  newspapers,  and  every  one  guessed 
hard  and  guessed  often  to  ascertain  who 
the  noble  parties  were.     A  few  knew  who 
the  gentleman  was;    but  gentlemen  were 
too  much  engaged  about  war  to  attend  to 
such  idle   matters;    and  ladies  were  the 
more  put  to  their  wits'  ends  because  the 
gentlemen  wouldn't.     Now,  the  truth  of  it 
was,  that  ever  mischievous  clerk  was  at 
the  bottom  of  it  all;    writing  all  those 
stories  for  the  papers,  concealing  just  so 
much  as  should  deceive  both  the  old  maid 
and  Vickey  as  to  which  was  the  intended 
bride,  for  he  would  have  them  both  believe 
they  were  both  alluded  to,  but  both  to  be 
the  recipient  of  a  different  kind  of  hus- 
band.    This  he  did  by  stating  at  the  end 
of  the  newspaper  articles,  "  also  two  of  the 
relatives   of   the    same  parties,   and   also 
wealthy,  will  be  married  the  same  day." 
So   craftily  had  he  managed  the  matter, 
that  Vickey  now  placed  herself    on  the 
list  of  the  betrothed,  believing,  through 
the  clerk's  stories,  that  Prescott  was  the 
millionnaire  alluded  to,  and  that  the  other 
match   was   between   her    aunt    and    the 
Judge.     One  thing  troubled  Vickey,  and 
that  was  the  style  of  courtship.     She  had 
had  her  love  adventures  in  a  small  town 
in  Ohio,  and  out  there  the  lovers  courted 
in  closer  proximity.     For  a  long  time  this 
had  preyed  on  her  mind,  and  she  feared 
that  she  might,  indeed,  be  the  victim  of 
some    mistake     or    ill-fortune ;     but    she 
dared  not  counsel  with  her  money-mak- 


ing papa,  and  she  had  learned  so  much 
of  "fashionable  life  while  in  a  Philadelphia 
boarding  school,  that  it  were  useless  to 
apply  to  her  less-informed  mother.     One 
day  she  resolved  to  have  the  matter  clear- 
ed up,  and  accordingly  set  herself  about 
it.     Prescott  had  also  taken  rooms  at  the 
Jackson  House— a  fact  that  should  not  be 
omitted  in  a  work  like  this— but  he  sel- 
dom lingered  about  the  place,  his  arduous 
duties  as  reporter  calling  him  hence  most 
of  the  time.     Occasionally,   however,  he 
would  pass  through  some  of  the  elegant 
parlors  or  drawing-rooms,  nodding  to  one 
and  another,  bidding  the  time   of  day. 
passing  only  a  few  words,  and  then  pass- 
ing himself  out.     Thus  he  had  often  met 
Vickey,   often    said  something    pleasing, 
and  often  most  abruptly  left ;  for,  though 
he  was  the  son  of  a  washerwoman,  his  con- 
tact with  his  fellows  had  polished  him  a 
little,  and  his  duties  had  made  him  abrupt 
to  business.     He  was  sharp  to  view  his 
friends,    and    read    their    character    and 
standing  at  a  glance.     In  Vickey  he  saw 
the  heart  of  a  good  and  virtuous  girl ;  but 
he  saw  the  vanity  and  folly  of  a  boarding- 
school  education.     Her  diction  was  train- 
ed, her  affectation  assumed,  and  her  posi- 
tion in  fashionable  life  painful  to  herself. 
And  she,  too,  felt  it  all ;  and  felt,  too,  that 
a  man  of  so  sharp  a  vision  as  Prescott 
could   see  and  know  her  prison  bounds. 
Of   her   aunt  and  her    mother    she  was 
ashamed,  not  for  any  fault  of  theirs,  but 
because  she   had  drunken  at  the  Pierian 
spring  just  enough  to  unfit  her  for  spheres 
of  high  or  low,  and  because  she  loved  them 
too  dearly  to  break  from  their  ungainly 
ways.     Gradually   did  this    light    dawn 
upon  her,  and  gradually,  too,  did  she  be- 
come unhappy,  and  suspicious  that  every- 
body noticed*  hers  and  her  family's  green- 
ness.    And  then  she  grieved  ;  she  grieved 
that  she  had  ever  improved  in  intelligence, 
for  it  was  robbing  her  noble  woman's  scul 
of  the  objects  to  love.     She  could  speak 
fluently,   for  the  boarding-school   taught 
ladies  to  read  and  speak  in  public ;  taught 
ladies  that  a  bold  utterance  was  learning ; 
taught    that    the    modulations    of    voice 
made  woman  great,  commanding,  queenly  ; 
taught  that  a  smattering  of  many  books 
could  gild  the  mind,  so  that  it  would  pass, 
on   the   unthinking    mortal   who    should 
marry  her,  as  the  store-house  of  an  angel's 
literature.     But  now,  alas,  she  found  that 
the  short  period  of  polishing  off  at  board- 
ing-school was  but  an   external    polish ; 
and,  too,  she  found  that,  to  be  in  the  so- 
ciety she  had  entered,  she  had  needed  to 
have  been  in  it  all  her  life,  and  to  have 
been    ever    studying  with    diligence,   to 


120 


TIIE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;   OR, 


make  it  now  a  place  of  enjoyment.     Her 
attractions  were   not   lasting ;    she   could 
play  you  on  the  piano ;  but  could  not  in- 
form you  on  the  difference  between  Bee- 
thoven and  Mozart ;  she  could  talk  you  on 
the  Constitution  and  our  great,  free  coun- 
try, but  she  had  never  heard  of  ancient 
republics — nor  did   she  know  Cato   from 
Plato ;  she  could  talk  you  on  Byron  and 
Milton,  but  she  could  not  tell  you  the  dif- 
ference between  acatalectic  and  catalectic. 
She  had  heard  of  iambic,  trochaic,  anapestic, 
and  (lacti/Uc,  but  she  knew  so  little  about 
thein,  that,  when   you   talked   to  her  of 
them,  she  sat  in  painful  silence,  or  cun- 
ningly talked    of    something  else.     And 
thus   it  was   on   all   subjects  and  things 
whereof  fashionable  life  amongst  a  liter- 
ary  people    abounds.      The    consequence 
was,  young  gentlemen,  and  even   ladies, 
of  genuine  worth  and  information,  who 
were  at  first  attracted  by  Vickey's  pretty 
face,  prettily-set  speeches,  pretty  playing, 
queenly  grace,  soon   discovered   she  was 
only  plated  ware,  plated  by  a  boarding- 
school;  and  so,  for  lack  of  learning  she 
was  cast  aside.     That  is  to  say,  every  new 
arrival    at    the    hotel  was    captured    by 
Vickey  first,  but  first,  too,  would  she  get 
the  cold  shoulder,  and  then,  plainer  ones, 
perhaps,   became   the  greater   lights   and 
glory.     But  this  young  lady  had  a  heart, 
a  good,  honest  heart,  and  she  had  been 
told  that  she  was  accomplished,  and  "fit 
for  the  best  of  society."     People  had  told 
her  that  her  voice  was   a  second  Jenny 
Lind's,  and  she   knew  no  better ;  to  en- 
courage her  in   learning,   her    boarding- 
school  teachers  had  told  her  that  she  was 
excellent,  aud  that  all  she  needed  was  a 
little  more  brass ;  and  so  she  got  brass. 
But  now,  alas  !  she  had  learned  that  there 
were  to  be  found  giants  in  learuing  and 
accomplishments,  and  that  she  herself,  the 
pampered  and  flattered,  was  but  the  vic- 
tim of  a  boarding-school  polish.     And  she 
grieved  ;  she  grieved  bitterly.     She  griev- 
ed in  particular  for  herself;  she  grieved 
in  the  burden  she  had  with  her  aunt  and 
mother.     Then  she  became  unhappy  ;  and 
then   she   became    distant   and   watchful, 
nay,  suspicious.     She  weighed  too  heavily 
all  things,  and  cast  them  all  against  her- 
self.    This  made  her  weep ;  ay,  at  times 
she  wept  bitterly.     She  thought  no  one 
loved   her;    she   thought   some   of    them 
loved  her  very  ardently.     The  Judge  told 
her  every  day  she  was  the  fairest  queen 
he  ever  saw  ;  he  was  ever  telling  her  what 
glorious  times  they  would  have  after  their 
maniage,  and  she  thought  he  meant  her 
aunt  and  she  and  Prescott ;  but  she  was 
too  much  afraid  to  try  to  find  out,  and 


she  would  only  answer;  "Oh,  I  shall  be 
so  happy  !  all  of  you  are  so  attentive !  "  but 
it  was  all  so  muddled  and  confused  she 
knew  not  what  to  make  of  anything. 
Though,  as  before  stated,  she  finally  re- 
solved to  have  things  cleared  up ;  and 
she  resolved,  too,  that  she  would  inquire 
from  some  other  than  that  ever-mischiev- 
ous clerk.  So,  who  should  she  apply  to 
but  her  own  intended  ?  But  how  could 
she  do  it  ?  Ask  him  if  he  really  meant 
to  marry  her?  ask  him  if  he  was  a  mil- 
lionnaire  ?  ask  him  where  he  intended  to 
take  her  on  their  wedding  trip?  Oh, 
how  could  she  ask  such  questions  ?  But 
then  she  remembered  that  her  boarding- 
school  teachers  had  ever  told  her  she 
needed  brass ;  that  brass  and  a  fluent 
tongue  would  make  all  things  pass.  So,  ac- 
cordingly, she  set  to  work  to  invent  some 
plan  to  meet  Prescott  alone — to  break 
through  all  barriers,  and  to  throw  herself 
into  his  arms,  with  a  full  protest  against 
fashionable  courtships,  and  to  entreat  him 
to  court  her  hereafter  in  close  proximity, 
in  country  fashion  ;  that  they  might  look 
each  other  in  the  eyes,  and  be  as  tender 
as  they  pleased.  Now,  she  knew  of  no 
way  to  meet  him  thus  alone,  unless  by 
rising  early  in  the  morning,  and  catching 
him  in  the  drawing-room  before  he  had 
finished  his  morning  papers.  This,  too, 
she  resolved  on  doing ;  and  after  haying 
been  for  weeks  maturing  her  plans  and 
her  set  speeches,  the  morning  came  on 
which  she  was  to  make  the  attack.  Now 
it  happened,  also,  that  that  morning  Pres- 
cott was  late,  and  that  she  was  herself  the 
first  in  the  drawing-room,  and  was  first 
apparently  engaged  with  the  morning  pa- 
pers. Not  long  bad  she  been  there,  when 
in  came  Mrs.  Lucy  Tabiatha  Stimpkins, 
between  whom  there  was  no  further  ac- 
quaintance than  that  each  knew  who  the 
other  was.  This  occurred  at  sunrise,  and 
Vickey  was  not  a  little  astonished  to  see 
Mrs.  Lucy  out  so  early,  for  she  knew  the 
latter  lived  at  least  a  mile  off;  so  she  bade 
her  good  morning,  adding,  "  I  thought  I 
was  the  first  lady  up  this  morning  !  " 

"  Why,  indeed,"  said  Mrs.  Stimpkins, 
"  I  have  been  up  nearly  four  hours  !  I 
have  written  out  an  hour's  lecture,  and 
walked  a  mile.  But  that  is  nothing  for 
me ;  though  I  am  astonished  to  see  you 
up  so  early.  Most  peojfle  lose  the  best 
part  of  the  day  in  bed.  Though  I  see  by 
your  looks  that  something  is  the  matter ; 
have  the  doctors  ordered  you  to  rise  early  ? 
You  look  horrid  !  " 

Vickey  shook  ;  Prescott  might  come  in. 

"  As    I    remarked    in    my  lecture   last 

night,"  Mrs.  Stimpkins  continued,  "  these 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN    1860. 


121 


hot-beds  of  fashion  destroy  more  consti- 
tutions, and  more  effeminate  woman's  na- 
ture, than  do  everything  else  under  hea- 
ven. It  makes  my  heart  bleed.  Pampered 
pride  and  foolish  courtships,  on  which, 
through  the  fickleness  of  man,  are  wreck- 
ed more  hearts  than  were  ever  joined  by 
all  the  foolish  cupids  this  side  of  eternity. 
I'm  done  with  such  stuff,  and  I  wish  every 
woman  in  the  land  was  awake  to  that 
higher  progression  of  human  indepen- 
dence. How  long  have  you  been  sick, 
Miss  Edge  ? " 

"  Oh,  I  am  not  sick ;  I  am  quite  well, 
thank  you." 

"  Then  you  must  be  in  love,  for,  God 
knows,  you  look  a  perfect  fright— I  don't 
mean  your  clothes,  but  your  haggard  face. 
Don't  mind  what  I  say ;  I  am  a  plain, 
blunt  woman,  and  have  discarded  all  de- 
ception ;  I  speak  the  truth,  and  I  tell  you 
plainly,  by  the  look  of  your  face  you  have 
either  had  the  ague  a  month,  or  have  been 
a  month  crying  your  eyes  out  over  some 
foolish  man's  pretended  love.  Is  it  not 
so?" 

Vickey's  eyes  began  to  cloud  ;  her  head 
hung  down,  and  her  hands  picked  about 
excitedly,  but  she  also  smiled  the  while. 

"  Indeed,  you  may  smile ;  but,  as  for 
me,  I  am  not  the  smiling  kind,  nor  will 
you  be,  when  you  shall  have  passed 
through  what  I  have.  I  tell  you,  this 
world  is  all  wrong ;  society  is  turned  up- 
side down  ;  progression  is  hooted  at ;  the 
same  old  theories  of  a  hundred  years  ago 
are  more  prized  now  by  the  great  multi- 
tude than  are  the  truths  of  our  newly- 
discovered  harmonial  philosophy.  It  is 
the  disobedience  to  Nature's  laws  makes 
you  sick  ;  it  is  an  infringement  upon  the 
mental  and  physical  constitution  makes 
you  scowl  and  yawn  at  the  approach  of 
day.  It  is  ignorance  that  makes  all  the 
mischief.  The  fool  puts  his  finger  in  the 
fire,  and  burns  it ;  the  fool  sits  in  the 
draft,  and  gets  a  sore  throat ;  the  fool 
wears  tight  boots,  and  gets  corns.  Look 
at  my  shoes,  Miss ."  Here  she  dis- 
played her  large  feet.  "  Those  are  sensi- 
ble. Ah,  again  you  smile.  Well,  let  us 
go  on  a  bit.  The  foolish  girl  sits  wearily 
at  night  to  pen  a  love-letter  ;  she  dotes  on 
the  expected  joys ;  she  teases  herself  with 
foolish  jealousy ;  she  makes  herself  sick 
from  the  tediousness  of  marriage ;  but 
some  day  she  wakes  from  ber  folly,  to  find 
that  she  has  been  a  fool.  The  joys  she 
expected  never  come ;  her  jealousy  is 
folly,  too ;  for,  when  she  has  tried  mar- 
riage, she  is  willing  her  husband  may  go 
to  the  dogs  ;  but  she  is  too  foolish  to  get 
rid  of  him,  and  so  she  lives  and  dies  a 


fool ;  and  her  folly  has  burdened  her  with 
a  world  of  mental  and  physical  pain.  So, 
you  see,  when  I  see  a  face  scarce  above 
twenty,  and  see  its  pain  deep  and  deaden- 
ing, I  can  surmise  the  rest.  I  wish  to  see 
a  Mr.  Prescott ;  have  you  seen  him  this 
morning  ? " 

"  I  have  not ;  perhaps  he  is  not  forth." 
Mrs.  Lucy. — "  Oh,  yes,  he  is ;  he  is 
always  early.  But  no  matter;  I  have  a 
good  deal  to  do  to-day,  and  so  I  must  be 
jogging  on.  Now,  mark  you,  if  ever  you 
take  a  moment's  trouble  over  man,  you 
will  find  that  you  are  making  a  fool  of 
yourself.  The  dreams  of  congeniality  are 
all  folly.  When  you  marry — but  God  for- 
bid you  ever  do  ! — you  will  find  that  your 
husband  is  a  stick,  only  a  stick,  and  not 
worth  a  moment's  consideration.  And  so 
I  charge  you,  if  any  such  foolish  matter 
ails  you,  banish  it  at  once  and  forever.  I 
was  once  as  handsome  as  you  are,  but  the 
husbands  I  have  had  have  given  me  much 
grief  and  anxiety,  and  now,  behold  my 
wrinkles  and  haggard  looks  !  Think  you 
I  am  fair  ?  Could  man  have  ever  bowed 
and  sued  to  win  such  a  face  ?  Could  such 
a  face  have  ever  had  its  surface  moistened 
with  tears  of  tenderness  for  a  man  ?  And 
is  this  the  wreck  they  have  given  me  ? 
You  think,  because  I  am  a  lecturer  on 
woman's  rights,  I  am  a  heathen  ;  but  I 
tell  you  it  is  not  I  that  speaks ;  it  is  the 
injury  and  misery  burning  in  my  soul,  aud 
my  mouth  is  their  vent-hole.  You'll  come 
to  it ;  every  woman,  sensitive  and  refined, 
comes  to  it.  Only  the  dull  sluggards  of 
slaves  of  soggy  fat  women  escape,  and  they 
only  because  they  are  too  stupid  to  see 
their  own  misery.  If  you  have  a  lover— 
or  rather  I  should  say  a  hyena— I  tell  you 
to  drop  him  ;  he's  false,  all  false.  I  know 
what  I  say— he's  false.  Only  a  few  months 
since,  I  married  a  man,  a  real  handsome 
man,  with  a  beardy  face,  and  all  that — I 
mean  no  less  a  person  than  Professor  Jack- 
son, the  celebrated  lecturer  on  psychom- 
etry  and  woman's  rights,  and  he,  too, 
proved  to  be  but  a  stick.  He  says  he  lost 
a  hundred  and  sixteen  dollars  by  it,  and 
now  he  wants  me  to  return  the  money.  It 
makes  my  blood  boil !  He  harped  on  that 
hundred  and  sixteen  dollars  till  I  was 
worn  out,  and  so  I  turned  him  adrift. 
But  mind  you,  we  had  no  ridiculous  di- 
vorce suit.  We  married  ourselves,  and, 
when  we  found  we  were  uncongenial,  we 
separated  ourselves,  and  that's  the  nearest 
heaven  I  ever  got.  But  the  joke  of  the 
matter  was,  I  was  no  sooner  out  of  the 
scrape,  than  up  jumps  another  suitor,  this 
young  Prescott,  and  spreads  himself  to 
win    my    heart.      Fudge !      He    has    no 


122 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


money,  and  wants  to  ride  into  fame  on 
my  talents.     But   I  am  too  old  for  such 

stuff "    At  this  juncture  Prescott  came 

in.  "  Ah,  Mr.  Prescott,  I  was  waiting  for 
you."  Prescott  bowed,  and  bid  them  good 
morning  ;  but  Mrs.  Lucy  kept  on  talking. 
"  The  messengers  sent  on  to  warn  Lincoln 
of  his  danger  have  met  him  in  Philadel- 
phia, and  been  told  by  his  important  Ex- 
cellency that  he  don't  consider  himself  in 
aDy  danger  at  all,  and  that  he  intends  to 
come  through  on  his  own  account.  Now, 
what  I  have  to  say  to  you  is,  that  last 
night,  after  I  had  delivered  my  lecture  on 
the  Germ  of  Psychometry,  on  my  way 
home,  it  being  late,  I  ran  afoul  of  that 
mysterious  couple  for  whom  we  are  both 
under  bonds,  and  this  much  I  abstracted 
from  them  by  playing  eaves-dropper :  That 
sixty  men,  known  as  Roughs,  from  Rich- 
mond, Virginia,  have  gone  up  to  Balti- 
more with  Russel,  and  that  in  that  city 
they  are  to  join  with  the  so-called  Dead 
Rabbits  and  Plug  Uglies,  and  that  they 
are  to  institute  a  formal  riot,  when  Lin- 
coln passes  through  that  city,  and  during 
the  riot  Orsini  is  to  stab  Lincoln  and  be 
borne  off  by  the  crowd.  The  other  part 
of  the  drama — the  seizing  of  this  city  and 
the  killing  of  the  Cabinet — you  know  as 
well  as  I  do.  This  information  I  wish  to 
communicate  to  General  Scott ;  but,  know- 
ing the  barriers  against  my  sex,  I  would 
not  wish  to  presume  so  much  as  to  go  in 
person  to  him." 

Prescott. — "  This  is  most  important,  in- 
deed. Not  a  moment  must  be  lost ;  but, 
to  make  the  matter  impressive,  I  wish  you 
to  accompany  me  to  Scott,  and  in  your 
own  manner  tell  it  him." 

Mrs.  Lucy. — "  That,  too,  is  my  desire  ; 
and  knowing  your  intimacy  with  him,  and 
your  energy  against  secession,  I  applied  to 
you  at  this  early  hour." 

Prescott. — "  We  should  go  at  once." 

Mrs.  Lucy. — "  On  the  instant.  It  is  the 
shaking  off  of  old  theories  that  moves 
this  nation ;  and  even  now  does  the  har- 
monial  philosophy  stand  out  like  a  rain- 
bow in  the  heavens." 

Prescott. — "  I  will  provide  an  umbrella  ; 
for  the  morning  looks  like  rain." 

Mrs.  Lucy. — "  No  matter  ;  I  have  one 
large  enough  for  both." 

Prescott. — "  These  signs  are  ominous, 
Miss  Edge.  Let  war  once  get  afoot  in 
this  unprotected  country,  and  we  shall 
have  great  work.     You  look  not  well !  " 

Yickey. — "  Oh,  I  am  quite  well,  I  thank 
you ;  but  the  threats  against  Lincoln 
frighten  me — that's  all." 

Prescott.—"  Oh,  is  that  all  ?  Well,  don't 
take  it  seriously ;  sadness  unfits  so  fair  a 


face  for  the  joys  in  store.  Oh,  those  mis- 
chievous newspapers !  "  Thereupon  Pres- 
cott smiled  knowingly,  and  he  and  Mrs. 
Lucy  went  out  arm  in  arm.  Poor  Vickey 
would  have  been  willing  to  sink  into  non- 
existence, but  motionless  a  while  she  sat 
there,  big  tear-drojjs  rolling  untouched 
down  as  pure  and  innocent  a  face  as  ever 
the  sun  shone  on. 

When  Jenkins  got  thus  far,  he  halted, 
and  I  looked  up.     Said  he, 

"  You  will  need  to  make  a  break  here." 

"  How  so  ?  "  said  I. 

"  The  annals  must  be  uniform,"  said  he ; 
"  keep  the  horse  before  the  cart.*' 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?"  I  asked. 

"  Wait,"  said  he,  "  and  you  shall  see." 

"  See  what  ?  "  said  I. 

Now,  when  Jenkins  saw  that  he  had 
used  the  word  "  see  "  when  he  should  have 
said  "  learn,"  he  bit  his  lips  a  little,  and 
then,  without  making  any  further  answer, 
commenced  again  with  his  monstrous 
manuscript,  and  these  words  he  uttered 
unto  me,  to  wit : 

A  galloping  horseman  in  military  dress 
was  a  strange  sight  in  Washington ;  but 
an  officer  in  full  uniform,  with  a  sword 
dangling  by  his  side,  made  us  all  look, 
and  watch  with  anxiety.  Americans, 
whose  avocations  had  ever  been  in  peace, 
could  hardly  believe  the  evidences  of  their 
own  senses.  Yet  these  things  were  begin- 
ning to  appear.  Throughout  all  the  South 
the  secessionists  had  seized  the  national 
forts,  arsenals,  and  post-offices.  National 
officers  everywhere  were  committing  open 
perjury,  and  turning  from  their  sworn  al- 
legiance to  the  nation,  and  even  robbing 
it,  for  the  benefit  of  their  particular  part, 
a  State.  They  repudiated  the  doctrine  of 
republics,  that  the  minority  shall  yield  to 
the  will  of  the  majority,  and  were  by  their 
own  example  instituting  a  principle  of  dis- 
integration inimical  even  to  themselves ; 
it  was  the  principle  that,  whoever  likes 
not  a  law,  need  not  obey  it ;  but  still  they 
called  it  liberty ;  like  the  Indian  denuding 
himself  in  the  city,  because  he  wanted 
liberty.  And  so  general  had  this  fault  be- 
come, the  treasonable  doings  down  South, 
that  nearly  half  the  nation  lost  sight  of 
the  fact  that  we  had  a  Government,  a  Con- 
stitution and  laws,  and  the  actions  of  the 
conspirators  were  so  common,  and  even  so 
criminal,  that  the  attention  could  only  be 
aroused  by  some  deed  of  more  than  an 
ordinary  character.  And  one  of  these 
occasions  is  that  of  which  we  speak, 
when  who  should  gallop  through  the 
streets  of  Washington  but  Iverson,  pro- 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1S60. 


123 


claiming  the  fact  that  General  Twiggs 
had  betrayed  the  national  army  over  to 
the  cause  of  the  South.  This  was  like 
the  shock  of  an  earthquake  in  this  coun- 
try. Not  that  Twiggs,  nor  his  army,  was 
of  much  value,  but  the  thought  of  what 
countryman  he  was.  To  him  it  was  not 
much  ;  for,  when  he  is  dead,  bis  infamy  is 
at  an  end  ;  but  the  stain  on  the  American 
name  will  never  die.  Our  countryman,  of 
high  trust  in  office,  had  perjured  himself 
— had  been  bought  for  five  thousand  dol- 
lars !  This  was  the  blow,  and  it  shook 
the  confidence  of  us  all.  Now,  while  this 
man  galloped  the  streets,  himself  exulting 
at  the  infamy  of  Twiggs,  how  could  we 
restrain  our  indignation,  or  even  sit  in 
calmness,  knowing  that  Buchanan  sat 
cowering,  and  praying  to  his  party  for 
their  forgiveness,  inasmuch  as  he  could 
not,  owing  to  his  position,  go  to  the  full 
extremity. 

Here  Jenkins  became  so  moved  that  he 
could  not  read  for  a  few  moments,  and 
the  writer  of  this  remarkable  history  had 
to  wait  a  little.  Jenkins  then  took  an- 
other glass  of  wine ;  the  glass  was  not 
more  than  two- thirds  full,  and,  when  he 
had  put  it  safely  down  his  neck,  he  ejacu- 
lated the  following : 

Buchanan  !     Infamy  be  thy  name, 
And  hatred  everlasting  to  thy  kindred  ; 
Followers,  thine  applauders,  and  all  men 
Whoever  speak  thee  well,  take  them  this 

curse, 
Whence  goodness  is,  and  honored  country- 
men 
Most  justly  do  full  merit  to  the  brave, 
That  thou,  the  opposite,  for  cowardice 
And  love  of  party  passively  played  death 
On  millions,  take  the  milllions'  death,  and 

die 
In  torture  of  their  many  million  pains, 
And  ceaseless  death  of  mental  agony ; 
And  when  thou'rt  dead  and  gone,  and  yet 

remembered, 
Be't  only  to  receive  another  curse. 

"  Why,"  said  I,  "  Jenkins,  you  were  his 
friend  ;  why  curse  you  thus  ?  " 

He  put  up  his  finger,  and  then  went  on  : 

Aroused  one  morning  by  the  clash  of 
horses'  feet,  I  beheld  Iverson,  and  heard 
the  story  of  his  joys  no  sooner,  than  off  I 
put  for  Buchanan  to  acquaint  him  there- 
with. I  found  him  in  bed,  but  with  some 
persistence  forced  my  way  in,  just  as  he 
had  arisen.  He  was  pale  and  excited, 
but  I  waited  not,  and  so  told  my  story. 
At  first  he  ejaculated,  "  Is  it  possible ! 
Twiggs  1 "      Again    I  assured    him,   and 


again  he  replied,  "  Is  it  possible  ?  Is 
Twiggs  a  Democrat  ? "  1  told  him  I 
knew  not,  and  that  I  could  see  not  why 
that  should  make  any  difference. 

"  All  the  difference  in  the  world,"  said 
he ;  "  all  the  difference  in  the  world  ! 
Don't  you  know,  if  I  do  a  thing  against 
him  I  will  only  exasperate  the  South  ? 
Rather  would  I  flay  the  other  party  alive, 
for  then  I  would  pacify  these  fire-eaters. 
Toombs  told  me  this.  Besides,  is  not 
Twiggs  a  free  man  ?  If  the  Republican 
party  chooses  to  draw  their  throats  across 
Twiggs'  sword,  is  that  my  fault  ?  " 

Said  I,  and  I  looked  him  fair  in  the  eye, 
"  Buchanan,  you  are  aware  that  the  na- 
tional soldiers  in  Fort  Sumter  are  about 
to  starve  for  lack  of  food,  and  that  Scott, 
endeavored  to  provision  them  on  the  sly, 
but  that,  through  your  connivance,  the 
secessionists  were  informed  of  that  fact ; 
and  so,  to-day,  the  soldiers  are  out  of 
food." 

"  Don't  call  it  connivance,"  said  he  ;  "  it 
was  my  extreme  friendliness  to  both  par- 
ties ;  besides,  it  was  not  me,  but  Thomp- 
son, that  telegraphed  them." 

"  Zounds  !  "  said  I,  "  who  is  Thompson, 
but  your  right-hand  man  ?  Why  do  you 
keep  him  in  the  Cabinet  ?  " 

I  had  scarcely  uttered  the  words,  when 
a  messenger  arrived  and  communicated 
the  important  intelligence  that  the  seces- 
sionists had  opened  fire  on  the  Star  of  the 
West,  the  steamer  referred  to.  Said  he, 
"  Mr.  President,  it  is  true  what  I  tell  you  ; 
the  South  Carolinians  have  fired  on  an 
unarmed  steamer  that  was  carrying  food 
to  the  national  soldiers,  and  the  vessel 
was  obliged  to  put  back."  Buchanan 
then  sat  down  and  cried  like  a  child  ;  and 
when  I  asked  him  the  cause  thereof,  he 
said,  "  Because  such  conduct  will  ruin  the 
Democratic  party.  Had  they  waited  till 
the  fourth  of  March,  they  had  had  cause 
enough  ;  but  now,  alas !  alas !  Why  have 
they  heaped  this  thing  on  my  head  ?  'Tis 
thus  those  Commissioners  wring  my  neck. 
O  my  God,  my  God  !  what  shall  I  do  ?  " 
and  again  he  cried  as  if  his  heart  would 
break.  The  messenger  and  I  then  turned 
to  leave  him,  but  he  called  me,  saying, 
"  Wait  here,  Jenkins  ;  I  want  you  to  take 
my  message  to  the  House  to-day."  I  told 
him  I  would,  and  I  returned  and  sat  down, 
but  the  messenger  left.  Seeing  that  Bu- 
chanan was  so  agitated,  I  took  up  the  un- 
finished message,  and  began  to  read  it,  but 
was  interrupted  by  the  unceremonious  en- 
trance of  Jeff.  Davis,  who,  laughing,  rein- 
formed  us  of  the  firing  on  the  Star  of  the 
West.  Said  he,  "  I  laugh,  because  no 
longer  ago  than  yesterday  I  made  a  speech 


124 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


to  prove  that  there  would  not  be  a  gun 
fired  on  either  side.  But  I  see  I  made  a 
mistake,  and  I  think  'tis  laughable." 

Buchanan. — "  I  think  it  is  no  laughing 
matter." 

Davis. — "  "Why,  no,  not  the  firing,  but 
the  speech  I  made.  It  will  go  in  history, 
that  the  head  and  front  of  secession  made 
a  speech  in  Congress  to  prove  all  would 
be  done  in  peace,  while  even  on  the  day, 
and  in  the  same  hour  thereof,  the  guns  of 
the  chivalrous  South  began  the  woful 
thunder." 

Buchanan  asked  him  if  he  had  heard 
of  Twiggs'  conduct. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  Davis  ;  "  but  that  was 
looked  for.  It  had  been  boasted  at 
the  Peace  Congress  that  it  would  take 
place." 

Buchanan  then  asked  me  to  read  the 
message  to  Davis,  and  I  complied  there- 
with, and  thus  it  ran  : 

"  To  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representa- 
tives assembled : 

"  Americans  and  citizens  of  this  free 
land,  behold  !  The  hour  of  trouble  and 
the  fall  of  an  empire  is  at  your  doors. 
Arouse  ye,  and  heed  the  moral  precepts 
of  your  fathers,  or  perish  all.  Arouse  to 
the  danger  hanging  over  your  heads,  and 
your  best  reason  manifest ;  for  the  peril 
of  civil  war  hath  sent  forth  his  lightning 
tongue,  and  his  thunder  resounds  on  the 
wild  ocean.  Behold  the  tenets  of  the  Con- 
stitution and  the  doctrine  of  State  rights, 
for  they  are  threatened  from  the  great 
North,  and  about  to  be  renovated  by  the 
imperial  South.  Hear  me,  hear  me,  in 
Taney's  name  hear  me,  for  I  am  the  last 
of  the  American  Presidents.  Hear  me,  O 
my  countrymen,  and  then  judge  ye.  Cer- 
tain Commissioners  appeared  before  me, 
and  threatened  the  nation — nay,  the  head 
of  the  nation.  Am  I  to  have  my  neck 
wrung  for  fault  of  the  Constitution  ?  How 
could  I  sell  the  forts,  when  there  is  no  law 
for  it  ?  How  could  I  protect  the  forts, 
when  there  is  no  law  for  that  neither  ? 
Are  not  forts  built  and  manned  for  the 
purpose  of  protecting  the  nation  ?  Was 
our  nation  built  merely  to  protect  the 
forts  ?  Nay,  verily.  It  is  not  in  the  Con- 
stitution, and  is  that  my  fault  ?  I  have 
cried  out,  Peace !  and  I  have,  showed 
them  my  example ;  but  my  countrymen 
are  becoming  refractory,  and  are  stirring 
each  other  up  to  deeds  of  blood.  But 
they  are  freemen,  and,  although  the  as- 
cendency of  Lincoln  is  repulsive  to  many, 
it  is  not  unconstitutional ;  neither  do  I 
value  it  a  sufficient  cause  for  a  general 


civil  war  ;  and  these  my  sentiments  I  now 
reiterate  for  the  twentieth  time. 

"  Therefore,  hear  yc,  O  my  countrymen, 
and  fight  who  may.  To  you  of  the  Booth, 
whom  more  I  love  than  I  do  my  Bible,  I 
proclaim  peace;  and  I  do  full  assurance 
give,  as  I  am  a  Democrat,  I  will  not  rein- 
force any  of  the  Southern  forts  without 
your  consent ;  neither  will  I  give  the  sol- 
diers, who  are  now  in  the  forts,  any  mor- 
sel of  food  during  my  term  of  office,  for 
it  is  not  so  ordained  in  the  Constitution. 
And  if  said  soldiers  starve,  it  is  their  own 
fault,  for  they  need  not  remain  so  long. 

"  To  you,  citizens  of  Charleston,  I  warn 
you  not  to  fire  on  the  national  forts  in 
your  harbor  during  my  term  of  office ; 
but  if  you  see  proper  to  build  batteries, 
and  to  get  all  things  in  readiness  for  that 
purpose — and  though  the  building  of  said 
batteries  is  not  within  itself  treason,  yet 
the  whole  thing  must  be  carried  on  at 
your  own  expense. 

"  To  you,  my  countrymen  of  the  North, 
who  have  too  much  agitated  this  question, 
peace  be  unto  you ;  and  I  ordain,  by  this 
my  special  message,  that  you  must  not 
hurt  the  South  during  my  term  of  office. 

"  Lastly,  my  countrymen,  pray  for  me, 
for  the  ills  I  have  to  bear. 

"  Given  under  my  hand  and  seal,"  etc. 

When  I  had  finished  reading  it — though 
the  above  is  but  a  brief  of  it — Davis  jump- 
ed up,  and,  cramming  both  hands  down 
his  pockets,  exclaimed : 

"  Mr.  President,  that  is  neither  fish  nor 
flesh.*  It  is  the  message  of  a  child  spoken 
to  babies.  Ere  another  morning  sun  I 
shall  be  President  of  this  country.  You 
may  wriggle  and  squirm  for  yet  a  short 
while,  but  the  inevitable  truth,  that  the 
Southern  people  shall  rule  this  nation, 
will  force  itself  upon  the  public  mind  be- 
fore another  month.  If  there  be  wrar,  you 
will  be,  through  all  time,  cursed  by  both 
North  and  South.  Had  you  been  firm  to 
either,  you  might  have  saved  the  shedding 
of  blood ;  but  you  have  done  the  worst 
you  possibly  could." 

Buchanan. — "  Why,  Davis,  why  is  this  ? 
Have  I  not  ever  hearkened  to  your  coun- 
sel ?  " 

Davis.— "  And  therefore  I  curse  you,  be- 
cause you  have  been  my  tool  to  carry  out 
my  purposes ;  but  now,  as  I  need  you  no 
more,  you  are  in  the  way,  and  so  my  ene- 
my. You  have  been  false  to  your  oath  of 
office  to  protect  the  national  property,  and 
so  you  are  false  to  the  whole  country.    And 

*  The  remarks  here  made  by  Davis  are  almost  iden- 
tical with  his  speech  in  the  Senate,  neither  are  they 
any  plainer  or  more  abusive. 


LOVE  AND  WAE  IN  1860. 


125 


now  all  men  shall  oppose  you  and  curse 
you.  The  sooner  you  get  out  of  this  place, 
the  better  it  is  for  you." 

Buchanan  looked  pitifully  at  him,  pale 
as  death,  with  big  tear-drops  rolling  down 
his  face,  but  Davis  continued  : 

"  Your  every  action  calls  forth  hate ; 
your  every  message  is  so  much  disgust ; 
your  whole  life,  your  person,  nay,  the 
clothes  on  your  back,  can  only  be  remem- 
bered for  all  time  with  curses  for  your  last 
four  years  of  infamy.  You  are  unworthy 
the  name  of  man,  if,  indeed,  you  have  the 
outward  semblance  ;  and  you  are  too  des- 
titute of  sense  and  cunning  to  be  by  will 
a  devil,  and  yet  your  imbecility  has  made 
you  more  the  tool  of  the  infernal  regions 
than  has  been  any  other  living  thing  since 
the  foundation  of  the  world.  For  God's 
sake,  leave  Washington  at  once ;  go  hide 
yourself  in  the  mountains,  and  live  the  life 
of  a  toad ;  or,  better  still,  tie  a  stone  to 
your  neck  and  swim  the  Potomac,  that 
your  hideous  person  may  be  lost  to  the 
sight  of  man  forever.  Lincoln  will  never 
reach  Washington  ;  a  grand  coup  d'etat  is 
on  the  tapis,  and  no  man  knows  what  an 
infuriated  mob  may  do.  Take  my  advice 
now ;  go  away — go  anywhere ;  but  leave 
at  once,  or  the  threat  of  the  Commission- 
ers will  fall  ori  you  ere  you  suspect." 

Buchanan  grew  even  paler  still,  and  his 
knees  knocked  like  one  about  to  die  of 
fear.  "  Oh,  Davis  !  Davis  !  "  he  cried, 
''  why  this  unsuspected  blow  !  Give  me 
a  moment's  leave.  Merciful  Heaven  !  what 
have  I  done  to  merit  this '{  Oh,  pity  me, 
sir ;  you  know  not  what  I  have  passed 
through,"  and  he  sobbed  so  much  he  could 
say  no  more. 

Davis  retorted,  "  I  have  no  pity.  I'm 
not  the  pitying  kind,  and,  in  the  language 
of  the  ancient  chivalry,  I  love  blood  more. 
A  man's  life  is  but  so  much  dirt,  and,  when 
it  is  in  the  wTay,  it  must  be  brushed  off. 
We  are  done  with  you,  and  you  are  in  the 
way.  Some  humanity  has  prompted  me 
to  warn  you  to  leave  Washington,  but  the 
choice  is  yours.  If  you  quit  at  once,  sur- 
render all  the  affairs  of  Government,  you 
may  pacify  the  demands  of  the  injured 
South  ;  but  no  less  an  act  of  yours  will 
ever  subvert  the  coming  civil  war." 

Buchanan. — "What!  before  my  term  is 
out  ? " 

Davis. — "  This  very  hour." 

Buchanan. — "  Impossible  !  " 

Bavis. — "  Talk  not  of  impossibles.  Go 
at  once,  and  we  are  friends  ;  stay,  and  we 
are  enemies  to  the  death." 

Buchanan.—"  O  God  !  what  shall  I  do  ? " 

Bavis. — "  I  must  have  an  answer  at  once." 

Buchanan  sank  down  into  a  large  arm- 


chair, breathing  as  if  his  lungs  would 
burst.  "  I'll  have  to  stay,  though  I  die  !  " 
he  gasped,  and  then  Davis  sneered,  and 
curled  his  lijj  in  fiendish  anger.  "  All 
right,"  said  he ;  "  you  are  a  Democrat, 
and  free  to  choose  what  you  will ;  and  you 
have  death — for  we  are  sworn  that  every 
Northern  occupant  of  this  mansion  shall 
die,  though  it  be  for  years  to  come. 
Should  war  miscarry,  or  any  deed  the 
time  defer,  still  this  thing  shall  be,  though 
we  hire  a  thousand  men  to  ply  the  assas- 
sin's knife."  He  turned  awTay  and  strode 
out  without  saying  another  word. 

Buchanan  was  speechless,  and  I  knew 
not  what  to  say,  lest  I  might  give  him 
more  pain  ;  but  I  suggested  that  that  was 
merely  one  of  the  sparks  out  of  a  fire-eat- 
er's mouth. 

"  Had  you  not  better  go  and  ascertain 
the  truth  of  these  things  ?  "  said  he. 

Said  I,  "  I  will."  I  then  rose  up  to  leave 
him,  but  he  rose  up  too. 

"  Oh,  Jenkins  !  Jenkins  !  "  said  he,  and 
he  put  his  arms  around  me,  and  really 
bawled  aloud.  I  kind  of  laughed  a  little, 
and  pulled  him  loose,  saying,  "  Oh,  don't ; 
come,  now,  it  will  be  all  right,  I  hope," 
and  so  I  released  myself  and  left,  just  as 
I  saw  him  fall  back  into  his  large  arm- 
chair. 

Here  the  writer  of  this  invaluable  his- 
tory is  obliged  to  forerun  the  statements, 
not  in  imitation  of  Shakespeare,  but  be- 
cause a  combination  of  annals  is  history. 
That  is  to  say,  that  immediately  after  the 
above  remarkable  interview,  Jeff.  Davis  was 
elected  President  of  the  Southern  confed- 
eracy. A  few  men  had  assembled  at 
Montgomery,  and  formed  a  plan  of  com- 
bination for  the  Southern  States,  and  thus 
put  a  man  at  the  head  of  their  govern- 
ment ;  the  full  plan  was,  however,  to  as- 
sume the  Government  of  the  whole  United 
States.  Lincoln  was  to  be  killed  in  Balti- 
more, and  the  Virginia  roughs  were  to 
kill  Buchanan,  all  the  Cabinet,  and  such 
men  as  were  deemed  dangerous  to  the 
South.  The  next  day  after  the  murders, 
Jeff.  Davis  and  his  cabinet  were  to  enter 
Washington,  and  so  assume  the  whole  na- 
tional affairs. 

Now,  with  this  explanation,  we  again 
refer  to  Jenkins'  notes,  beginning  with 
these  words : 

But  before  I  tell  you  more  of  what  I 
did,  let  me  now  turn  back  to  the  young 
girl  we  left  at  the  Jackson  House,  so  full 
of  tears  and  disappointment — I  mean 
Vickey.  Turning  her  face  toward  the 
front  window,  to  hear  what  Iverson  said, 


120 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;    OR, 


she  attracted  his  attention.  He  reined  in 
his  horse  and  rode  near,  while  she  threw 
open  the  window.  Searching  then  in  his 
pockets,  he  inquired  if  she  were  not  the 
same  lady  who  formerly  promenaded  so 
much  with  Miss  Ann  Underbill,  and  also 
asking  if  she  knew  one  Wadsworth. 
Vickey  replied  in  the  affirmative,  and  at 
once  brightened  up,  thinking  she  should 
hear  good  news  from  poor  gentle  Ann. 

"Tell  me,"  said  Iverson,  "if  you  please, 
wrhere  is  Wadsworth  ?  I  have  private 
word  for  him,  which  I  am  sorry  I  cannot 
communicate  to  you." 

Vickey  told  him  she  could  not  tell,  and 
that  she  knew  not  how  he  could  be  found, 
unless  by  applying  to  one  Mr.  Jenkins, 
who  was  his  sincere  friend. 

"  Well,  then,  tell  me  where  I  can  find 
Jenkins,"  said  he. 

"  Most  likely  at  the  President's  Man- 
sion," said  she.  "  But  pray,  sir,  have  you 
any  news  of  Miss  Underbill  ?  Can  you 
tell  me  where  she  is  ?  " 

"  I  would  that  I  could  tell  you,"  said  he. 

"  Oh,  so  much  I  would  love  to  hear  from 
her — where  she  is,  and  bowr  she  fares  !  " 

"  Perhaps  you  may,  some  time,"  said  he. 

"  Then  it  must  be  soon  ;  for  if  Lincoln 
and  Buchanan,  and  all  the  officers  of  the 
Government,  are  to  be  killed  to-morrow, 
we  must  pack  up  at  once  and  leave  Wash- 
ington." 

He  laughed,  and  then  inquired,  "  Is 
there  anything  new  afoot  ?  " 

"  Oh,  sir,  indeed  there  is ;  but  the  whole 
thing  has  leaked  out,  and  two  of  my 
friends  have  gone  down  to  acquaint  Scott 
with  the  designs  of  the  conspirators." 

Iverson  wanted  to  hear  no  more.  The 
conspiracy  was  discovered;  something 
must  be  done  to  outwit  Scott,  if,  indeed, 
that  were  possible.  Iverson  laughed  again 
to  Vickey,  and  told  her  to  believe  the 
whole  thing  was  as  groundless  as  a  wom- 
an's fear,  and  that  not  a  drop  of  blood 
would  be  shed.  "  But  I  forget,  I  must 
go  find  Jenkins,"  he  added,  and  then  gal- 
loped off. 

Poor  Vickey  had  a  world  of  trouble 
before,  but  now  she  had  curiosity  to  bat- 
tle with — a  thing  at  all  times  burdensome 
to  woman  ;  and  in  her  fevered  excitement 
she  got  up  and  walked  toward  the  veran- 
da, where  she  beheld  that  mischievous 
clerk  calmly  smoking  his  cigar.  He  was 
so  near  by  that  he  had  evidently  seen  all 
and  heard  all  that  had  bee:i  said,  and  had 
no  doubt  seen  her  intended  husband  walk 
off  with  that  strong-minded  woman.  He 
rose  up  to  meet  her,  and  came  forth  smil- 
ing, bidding  her  good  morning,  and  call- 
ing it  a  very  fine  day. 


"  Too  well,  indeed,  Miss  Edge,  do  I  di- 
vine the  cause  of  your  discomfort.  But 
bear  a  wdiile  ;  heed  nothing  you  see.  It  is 
the  course  of  fashionable  society.  Young 
men  try  their  intended  wives  by  every  pos- 
sible manoeuvre,  to  see  if  they  are  unsus- 
pecting and  constant.  Prescott  is  desper- 
ately in  love  with  you,  but  he  needs  must 
put  you  to  this  severe  test.  It  was  for 
that  purpose  I  was  stationed  here,  and 
you  may  rest  assured  I  will  tell  him  you 
were  as  joyful  and  unconcerned  as  if  you 
cared  not  whether  he  returned  or  not. 
You  see,  he  fears  you  are  after  his  vast 
fortune." 

"  Really  !  "  said  she. 

"  Of  course,"  said  he. 

"  Well,  now,"  said  she,  "  Mrs.  Stimp- 
kins  says  he  is  not  worth  a  farthing  in 
the  world." 

"  Certainly.  And  did  she  not  say  Pres- 
cott was  after  her  ?  " 

"  She  did  ;  and  she  signified  she  would 
not  under  any  circumstances  accept  him." 

"  Just  so ;  that  was  their  programme. 
It  is  done  in  order  to  see  if  you  really 
love  the  man  and  honor  him,  or  if  you 
are  after  money.  You  notice  that  ever 
since  his  proposal  he  has  kept  aloof?  " 

"  Indeed,  to  my  sorrow  I  have." 

"  Keep  you  aloof  also.  Leave  it  all  to 
me." 

"  But  how  am  I  to  know  he  intends 
marrying  me  ?  He  is  so  distant,  and  I 
tell  you,  for  you  and  the  Judge  are  the 
only  real  friends  I  have  here ;  but  I  am 
at  a  loss  wdiat  to  do.  My  mother  urges 
me  to  fix  the  marriage  day  at  once,  for 
she  is  afraid  it  is  not  all  right.  And  Mr. 
Prescott  treats  inc  as  indifferently  as  he 
does  the  other  ladies.  Already  it  is  in 
the  newspapers,  and  every  one  looks  at 
me  so,  my  heart  almost  breaks  !  "  She 
sobbed  right  heartily,  and  the  clerk  bade 
her  compose  herself.  "  You  know,"  she 
continued,  "  father  says  we  must  leave 
Washington  in  a  few  days,  because  there 
wnll  be  war,  and  I  don't  know  what  all, 
on  the  day  of  Lincoln's  arrival.  Oh, 
dear !  oh,  dear ! "  and  she  renewed  her 
sobbing. 

"  Miss  Edge,"  said  the  clerk,  "  now,  if 
you  please,  leave  the  matter  in  my  hands. 
I  am  used  to  this  sort  of  thing,  and  I  am 
stern  in  my  course.  You  are  excited,  and 
may  make  a  blunder  of  it." 

"  Oh,  sir,  I  thank  you.  Yxou  are  so 
kind  !  "  she  said,  and  the  clerk  replied, 

"  Oh,  I  will  write  him  such  a  letter — 
no,  that  will  not  do  ;  love  affairs  should 
never  be  w7ritten  down.  I'll  go  talk  to 
him.  You  should  have  been  married  a 
month  ago,  and  I'll  tell  him  so.     Indeed, 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


127 


I  shall  tell  him  he  will  lose  you  altogether 
if  he  don't  look  out." 

"  And  that  is  true,  too.  But  see,  my 
aunt  comes ! " 

In  another  moment  the  old  maid  came 
in,  but  Vickey  dodged  her,  and  so  went 
out.  The  old  maid  held  her  teeth  and 
plumpers  in  one  hand,  and  her  bonnet  in 
the  other." 

"  Good  morning,  Mr.  Jackson,"  said  she 
— she  always  called  the  clerk  Mr.  Jackson  ; 
"  it*s  a  nice  morning  this  morning.  Wasn't 
that  my  niece,  Vickey  ? "  He  also  said 
good  morning,  but  told  her  he  did  not 
know  who  the  lady  was  that  just  went 
out.  "  I  wanted  her  to  help  me  fix  up  a 
little,  and  I  thought  that  was  her.  These 
patent  teeth  and  plumpers,  I  don't  know 
yet  how  to  put  'em  in,  and  I've  been  to 
Vickey's  room,  and  she  isn't  in.  She's  a 
darling,  good  girl ;  "  and  away  the  old 
maid  mosiecl  out. 

"  Now,  let  me  see,"  said  the  clerk,  in 
soliloquy  ;  "  I  am  afraid  the  Judge  will 
never  take  that  old  creature ;  and  I  am 
afraid  Prescott  will  never  marry  the  gay 
Vickey  with  all  her  diamonds.  Vickey 
would  not  marry  the  old  Judge,  that's 
certain.  Now,  what's  to  be  doue  ?  If  I 
could  put  myself  in  Prescott's  place,  why 
I'd  marry  Vickey,  that's  more  certain  than 
anything  I  know  of.  But  I  would  not 
inarry  her  while  she  is  so  fond  of  Prescott. 
Here's  work.  I  swear  I'll  marry  her.  I'll 
go  tell  her  with  all  the  cunning  I  can 
invent,  that  Prescott  wouldn't  give  a  pinch 
of  snuff  for  her ;  that  he  values  one  of 
Mrs.  Stimpkin's  big  shoes  more  than  he 
does  the  whole  Edge  family.  Then  I 
shall  weep  for  Vickey ;  if  possible  kiss 
away  her  tears.  Tell  her  how  I  too  once 
lost  an  intended,  which  will  be  all  false, 
and  then  I  will  offer  her  my  mighty  heart, 
which  in  my  own  estimation  is  not  bigger 
than  a  pin's  head.  Perchance  I'll  get  her 
father's  fortune.  I  must  first  publish  my- 
self as  heir  to  some  great  estate,  and  now 
and  henceforth  wear  fine  new  cloth  " 

The  clerk  then  went  out  elated  beyond 
measure,  confident  that  no  one  knew  his 
intentions.  Though  his  soliloquy  was  not 
that  of  a  novelist,  but  a  real  one,  he  had 
spoken,  and  he  was  heard.  An  ear  unused 
to  stratagem,  an  ear  not  stationed  to  hear, 
but  as  pure  and  noble  as  ever  passively 
received  an  unholy  thought,  now  caught 
the  tenor  of  a  designed  love.  The  owner 
was  chilled  and  frozen  by  the  thought 
that  a  man  for  a  fortune  would  prey  on  so 
fair  and  thoughtless  a  girl,  and  all  horrors 
traced  in  tales  of  fiction  came  up  to  shock 
and  terrify.  Who  was  there,  at  so  early 
an  hour  ?      Where  was  a  hiding-place  ? 


There  were  no  closets.  Parlors  on  one 
side ;  a  hall  on  another ;  veranda  on 
another ;  and  an  office  on  the  fourth. 
And  yet  there  was  a  person  concealed — a 
person  nearly  starved.  For  several  days  a 
noise  had  been  occasionally  heard,  but  the 
plainness  of  the  walls  dispelled  all  concep- 
tion. In  earlier  days,  when  room  was  less 
a  consideration  than  now,  the  Jackson 
House  office  extended  across  the  hall ;  but 
some  ingenious  landlord  saw  that,  by  ex- 
tending the  hall  at  the  other  end,  and 
moving  the  folding  doors  about  six  feet 
nearer  the  middle  side  of  the  large  parlors, 
an  additional  room  could  be  constructed 
nearer  the  yard,  which  room  is  now  called 
the  bridal  room.  When  the  folding  doors 
doors  were  moved,  the  opening  behind  had 
to  be  either  boxed  up  and  papered  or  built 
up  with  brick  and  mortar.  As  it  was 
done  by  contract  the  opening  was  never 
filled  in  ;  so  that,  by  coming  from  the  cel- 
lar upward,  a  small,  thin  person  could 
stand  within  the  wall,  resting  the  feet  on 
the  short  ends  of  boards  that  extended 
into  the  hollow.  But  a  person  could  not 
get  up  into  the  hollow  space  without 
springing  the  boards  upward,  and,  when 
once  inside,  the  boards  would  spring 
downwards,  rendering  it  altogether  im- 
possible for  the  person  to  ever  get  out 
alone.  But  as  a  full  description  of  this 
accidental  trap  was  published  at  the  time 
referred  to,  no  further  reference  need  be 
made  to  it  here.  Suffice  it  to  say,  in  this 
death-like  closet  was  the  fugitive  Lizzie, 
alias  Joe  Tavers  !  And  now  let  us  see  how 
this  thing  came  about.  You  will  remem- 
ber that  she  kept  the  newspaper  stand  for 
a  while,  and  that  she  very  unceremoni- 
ously disappeared.  The  cause  of  it  was. 
she  feared  she  was  discovered.  Persons 
had  been  to  buy  papers  and  had  eyed 
her  so  carefully  that  she  became  fright- 
ened ;  and  well  for  her  that  she  did.  She 
had  become  identified.  She  ran  to  the 
Jackson  House,  to  hide  herself.  Here  she 
lingered  for  some  time,  in  order  to  see 
me  especially,  but,  while  watching  on  the 
veranda,  she  beheld  the  murderer  Orsini. 
who  ran  for  her,  and  she  ran  down 
into  the  back  cellar.  He  saw  her  go 
clown  the  cellar  stairs,  and  quickly  fol- 
lowed. She  ran  then  into  the  front  cellar 
for  a  moment,  seeking  a  hiding-place  be- 
hind the  Judge's  wine-barrels,  but  her 
pursuer  came  too  quickly  on,  and  she  fled 
up  in  the  corner  by  the  kindling-wood, 
just  as  the  light  from  the  now  groping 
detective's  lamp  cast  a  ray  on  the  space 
in  the  wall.  It  was  full  twelve  feet  up, 
and  a  huge  plank  rested  on  the  edge.  Up 
the  plank    she    scrambled   with    all  her 


128 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ■   OR. 


power,  with  the  agility  of  a  squirrel,  to 
find  alas!  that  the  hole  was  too  small. 
But  no  ;  she  felt  the  boards  spring  up- 
ward. Quick — 'twas  freedom,  or  endless 
slavery  !  Her  head  and  tapered  shoulders 
passed  through — the  plank  fell — and  out 
went  the  light  in  the  detective's  hand. 
In  a  few  moments  more  she  drew  herself 
up,  through,  and  stood  within  the  hollow 
wall.  The  detective  got  another  light ; 
carefully  searched  every  crook  and  corner, 
and  finally  concluded  she  had  escaped 
some  other  way.  The  servants  were  all 
on  hand,  and  were  given  a  full  description 
of  the  fugitive,  and  promised,  within  her 
hearing,  that  whoever  found  her,  and 
caught  her,  should  have  a  hundred  dollars. 
Then  they  left — left  the  cellar,  left  Lizzie 
in  the  darkness ;  left  her  in  the  hollow 
wall,  a  beautiful  American  slave,  who  now 
vowed  to  heaven  she  would  remain,  and 
starve,  ere  she  would  more  hazard  her 
liberty.  But  resolutions,  like  all  other 
things,  can  be  overcome,  and  so  were 
hers.  Three  days  and  nights  in  total 
darkness,  in  an  immoveable  position,  with 
nothing  to  eat,  with  an  active  mind,  a 
mind  awake  to  all  the  glories  of  liberty, 
had  by  slow  degrees  gradually  overcome 
her  determination  to  die,  had  little  by 
little  invented  yet  other  means  of  gain- 
ing a  life  of  freedom.  The  sounds  of 
voices  in  the  parlors  during  the  day  had 
aroused  her  feelings,  filled  her  with  envy, 
with  remorse,  hatred,  love,  and  with  a 
slow,  burning  fire.  Little  by  little  her 
tiny  fingers  had  picked  at  plaster,  till  a 
hole  was  through  the  wall,  whither  came 
a  ray  of  light.  Then  the  curious  eye 
sought  the  outward  group — fashion, 
glory  !  Lace  aud  diamonds,  gold  and  the 
genial  smiles  of  a  free  people  in  the  parlors 
she  then  beheld.  They,  too,  were  Ameri- 
cans. Only  one,  a  red-faced  man,  with 
bald  head,  who  nibbled  the  head  of  a  gold 
cane ;  he  had  a  foreign  twang,  and  he 
boasted  that,  in  the  coming  war,  his  coun- 
try would  at  least  sympathize  with  the 
South.  Then  she  picked  the  hole  larger, 
but  yet  no  more  than  the  size  of  a  pea,  to 
see  if  any  face  she  knew.  But  no ;  all 
were  strangers.  Oh,  that  she  could  see 
a  friend,  to  look  once  more  on  one  she 
knew  was  true,  and  then  with  the  happy 
view,  to  die !  Only  one  person  had  ever 
cared  much  to  save  her ;  that  was  Jenkins, 
and  Jenkins  she  would  see.  But  would 
he  ever  come  ?  Had  he  ever  stayed  so 
long  from  those  parlors  before  ?  Might 
he  not  devise  some  way  to  get  her  away — 
to  get  her  something  to  eat  ?  But  day 
after  day  she  lingered,  waiting,  watching 
for  Jenkins  or  for  death.      So  weak,  so 


frail,  so  persecuted,  almost  a  maniac. 
Poor  girl !  And  yet  to  make  and  to  keep 
slaves  like  thee,  my  own  countrymen  are 
rebelling  against  the  great  republic  ! 

But  here  1  must  refrain  ;  history  should 
not  have  the  style  of  romance  or  fiction. 
It  will  be  borne  in  mind  that  after  I  left 
Buchanan,  I  sought  for  Prescott  and  such 
others  as  would  be  able  to  give  me  def- 
inite information  regarding  the  expected 
attack  on  the  city  of  Washington.  Well, 
as  I  came  down  the  avenue,  and  meeting 
a  friend,  I  halted  for  a  moment's  word. 
when  who  should  gallop  up  but  Iverson, 
shouting,  "  Ha  !  Is  your  name  Jenkins  ?  " 
I  looked  round,  and  when  he  saw  me  he 
knew  me,  and  for  reasons  which  I  care  not 
to  mention,  he  dreaded  me.  He  had  sup- 
posed that  Jenkins  was  some  person  he 
did  not  know,  but  now  he  saw  me,  he  was 
taken  aback,  he  would  not  tell  me  or  ask 
of  me  what  he  wanted.  I  saw  his  embar- 
rassment as  soon  as  I  turned  round,  but  he 
quickly  retorted  by  saying,  "  I  merely 
halted  to  say,  go,  you,  and  boast  of 
Twiggs  !  "  and  then  he  wheeled  his  horse, 
and  galloped  off.  Without  boasting  of 
myself,  I  must  say  I  knew  too  much  of 
human  ingenuity  to  be  deceived  by  such  a 
turn  ;  and  I  must  also  acknowledge  I  was 
not  a  little  interested  to  know  what  the 
mistake  was.  But  this  I  would  not  per- 
haps have  ever  found  out,  had  it  not 
been  for  the  remarkable  events  that  im- 
mediately followed  at  the  Jackson  House, 
which,  though  talked  of  so  much  at  that 
time,  have  never  been  published  till  now. 
The  particulars  of  the  whole  affair  were  as 
follows : 

As  I  was  passing  through  the  parlors  I 
heard  a  voice  say  "  Stay,  Jenkins  !  "  At 
that  instant  the  Judge  met  me  and  1  said, 
"  Certainly  Judge,  what  is  it  ?  "  He 
looked  at  me  from  head  to  foot,  retorting, 
' '  What  is  what  ?  " 

Said  I,  "  you  said,  '  Stay,  Jenkins  ! '  " 

"  Then  I'm  not  sober." 

"  You  certainly  did  !  " 

"  I  certainly  am  a  fool." 

"  Then  there  is  a  ventriloquist  in  this 
house.  I  heard  those  two  words  once 
before  and  not  an  hour  since." 

"Tut,"  said  the  Judge* "'tis  that  Mrs. 
Stimpkins'  spirit.  The  yowl  of  her  voice 
infects  the  house,  the  furniture,  the  very 
air.  AVhoever  sees  her  once,  or  hears  her 
nasal  twang,  will  ever  after  hear  and  see 
her  when  he  chances  to  pass  the  same  spot 
where  she  has  been.  These  strong-minded 
women  remind  me  of  horrors ;  as,  for  ex- 
ample, a  person  is  murdered  in  a  forest, 
the  strongest  man  will  dread  to  visit  the 
dire  spot — on  a  dark  night.       Thought, 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


129 


that  divine  principle  in  man,  beholds  the 
thing  in  a  thousand  times  more  revolting 
form.  So,  likewise,  is  ever  the  memory 
troubled  by  the  thought  of  these  misfor- 
tunately  organized  creatures.  Once  having 
seen  them,  we  see  them  ever  after ;  when 
we  are  asleep,  when  awake ;  in  company 
and  in  solitude.  We  first  see  her  in  argu- 
ment ;  then  in  the  lecture-room ;  then 
with  a  cowhide  or  a  pistol ;  then  married, 
then  single ;  then  deserted  ;  then  haggard  ; 
a  living  skeleton  or  a  thing  of  lust ; 
shunned  by  true  women,  hated  by  true 
men ;  sinking  into  her  tomb  the  most 
wretched  of  anything  on  earth.  Nay, 
verily,  God  save  me  from  an  intellectual 
■woman  !  " 

"  No,  I  understand ;  you  go  for  the 
girls  of  seventeen  ?  " 

"  Did  you  see  that  ?  "  the  Judge  asked. 

"  I  did  ;  who  was  it  to  ?  "  said  I. 

"  Why,  how  do  I  know  ?  Am  I  account- 
able for  every  love- sick  swain's  poetry  ?  " 

Now,  while  we  thus  pleasantly  talked  a 
few  minutes,  pacing  back  and  forth 
through  the  parlor,  the  clerk  came  and 
told  the  Judge  that  Mr.  Edge  wanted  to 
speak  a  word  with  him  in  the  office,  and 
so  the  Judge  went  out.  I  followed,  passing 
near  the  folding  doors,  intending  to  ring 
for  my  man-servant.  Again  I  heard  that 
voice,  "  Stay,  Jenkins  !  "  The  hair  of  my 
head  stood  on  end.  I  was  not  super- 
stitious, but  the  voice  was  that  of  Lizzie, 
only  it  was  so  hollow  and  death-like. 
Almost  palsied  in  my  tracks,  I  halted. 
"  Fear  not !  "  I  sat  down.  "  In  God's 
name  speak  not !  "  My  eyes  were  flooded 
with  tears,  and  the  blood  coursed  in  tor- 
rents to  my  fevered  brain.  In  a  moment 
more  the  clerk  came  in,  and  began  to  tell 
me  a  new-laid  scheme  for  another  wedding ; 
but  I  heard  not.  I  was  more  like  one 
dead  than  alive,  and  yet  I  had  confidence 
enough  to  dissemble  before  the  clerk. 
Merely  saying,  "  yes  "  or  "  no  "  to  him,  I 
withdrew  my  note-book  and  pretended  to 
be  writing,  hereupon  he  cleverly  with- 
drew. For  one  or  two  minutes  I  waited, 
but  never  before  did  my  mind  travel  so 
fast. 

"  Oh,  Jenkins  !  "  Again  I  felt  the  im- 
mortal stroke.  "  Your  poor  fugitive, 
Lizzie,  is  hid  in  these  walls !  Keep  still, 
or  all  is  lost !  I  am  not  a  ghost,  but  am 
hidden  here,  and  am  almost  dead."  Her 
voice  was  indeed  weak,  and  I  waited  in 
great  pain,  the  blood  now  almost  freezing 
in  my  person.  "  I  can't  get  down.  Come 
into  the  cellar,  and  help  me.  I  think,  if 
you  help  me  down,  I  will  die  in  your 
arms,  for  it  seems  heaven  has  so  ordained 
it!" 

9 


"  Oh,  I  am  glad  to  find  you  !  I  will  be 
with  you  in  one  moment,"  said  I. 

"  Oh,  do  come  !  "  said  she ;  "  but  come 
with  caution." 

I  then  went  down  into  the  cellar,  tell- 
ing the  steward  the  Judge  wanted  me  to 
examine  his  wine-barrels.  After  groping 
about  for  some  time,  I  found  the  neighbor- 
hood, and,  then,  by  drawing  matches, 
succeeded  in  getting  a  view  of  the  place, 
or  at  least  of  the  hole  through  which  she 
had  crept,  and  the  crevice  was  no  larger 
than  my  two  fists.  Fortunately,  indeed, 
for  her,  or  she  could  never  have  entered 
the  place  but  for  wearing  boy's  clothes.  I 
called  to  her,  but  got  no  answer.  My 
matches  went  out,  and  I  had  to  go  get  a 
candle.  Thus  provided  I  again  sought 
and  found  the  place,  but  my  calling 
brought  forth  no  answer.  I  became  a  little 
nervous,  for  the  thought  moved  me  that  her 
relaxation  from  secrecy  might  have  caused 
her  death.  After  some  considerable  diffi- 
culty I  erected  the  plank  before  men- 
tioned, and  then  ascended  and  examined 
the  crevice.  Far  along,  at  one  end,  I 
touched  her  foot ;  it  was  warm.  Again 
I  called  "  Lizzie  !  Lizzie  !  Joe  Travers ! " 
but  no  answer  came,  and  my  own  blood 
turned  cold  as  I  pressed  her  little  warm 
foot.  What  to  do  I  knew  not.  I  pressed 
against  the  two  spring-boards,  but  could 
not  raise  them  up,  for  she  herself  was  in 
the  way.  I  renewed  the  calls,  but  all  wras 
silent.  Almost  chilled  to  death  myself 
with  the  thought  that  one  of  my  poor  fel- 
low-creatures had  died  so  suddenly  in  so 
miserable  a  place,  I  then  came  and  re- 
flected a  moment  on  what  to  do.  Per- 
haps she  had  only  fainted  away,  and,  if  I 
betrayed  her,  on  her  coming  to,  she  would 
be  again  sent  into  endless  slavery.  Per- 
haps she  was  dead,  and  I  might  get  my- 
self in  trouble  by  not  giving  the  coroner 
due  notice.  Who  should  I  apply  to  ? 
Not  a  servant  could  I  trust.  Not  that 
blabbing,  mischievous  clerk.  Prescott  or 
Wadsworth  ?     But  where  find  them  ? 

Once  more  I  ascended  the  plank,  and 
pressed  her  foot,  calling,  Lizzie  !  Lizzie  ! 
Joe  Travers  !  "  but  all  was  silent.  I  could 
not  get  my  finger  up  to  feel  her  pulse. 
Down  I  came,  almost  dead  with  perplexity. 
But  what  was  my  horror,  the  Judge  and 
the  clerk  were  coming  for  wine  !  They 
exclaimed  simultaneously,  "  What,  Jen- 
kins !  "  "  Oh,  in  heaven's  name,"  said  I, 
for  I  instantly  resolved  to  tell  it  all ;  "  see 
you  here,  what  horrors.  That  fugitive 
Lizzie  is  hid  in  the  wall,  and  nearly,  if 
not  quite  dead  !  " 

"  Lizzie  ?  Why,  she's  been  gone  a 
week,"  said  the  Judge. 


130 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


"  No  matter,"  said  I,  "  she  is  here ;  come, 
and  I  will  show  you." 

"  Is  it  possible  !  "  said  the  clerk ;  and  I 
now  saw  in  that  mischievous  face  the 
glimpse  of  a  pure  and  noble  heart.  In  a 
moment  more  the  clerk  ran  up  the  plank, 
and  called  her,  but  he,  too,  got  no  answer. 
Down  he  came,  saying,  "  Stay  you  here ; 
I  will  go  for  the  old  Dutch  doctor  in 
Mark's  drug-store.  He  can  raise  the  dead. 
Fear  not,  fear  not ;  if  she  come  to  life,  she 
shall  never  be  a  slave' !  " 

Out  he  went,  and  we  remained  there  to 
ponder  on  the  sad  scene.  But  we  were 
startled  by  a  death-like  moan.  Up  I  went 
again,  calling  her  by  name.  "  Water  ! 
water  !  "  she  whispered,  and  then  moaned 
a  little.  The  Judge  then  went  into  the 
ante-cellar,  and  called  aloud  for  a  saw  and 
an  axe.  Soon  now  the  cellar  was  full  of 
folks.  Then  came  the  old  doctor.  Then 
we  sawed  off  the  boards  ;  bent  them,  pried 
them,  pulled  them,  and  finally  extricated 
the  pale,  and  almost  lifeless  slave  girl. 
We  laid  her  on  a  straw  mattress  ;  the  old 
doctor  examined  her,  but  spoke  not.  Once 
he  held  up  his  hand  to  us  all,  saying,  "  Sh ! 
sh  !  "  Then  he  ordered  us  to  carry  her  up- 
stairs and  into  a  quiet  room.  The  curious 
crowd  then  dispersed,  but  we  bore  her  to 


a  dear,  sweet  room  and  moistened  her  lips 
with  water.  Serene  and  calm  she  lay 
there,  the  orphan  child,  alike  our  sister  in 
the  sight  of  the  Almighty!  She  was  in- 
sensible !  I  fanned  her  with  a  newspaper, 
and  on  its  page  I  saw,  great  God  !  a 
Southern  Confederacy,  based  on  the  corner- 
stone of  slavery.  In  another  column  was  a 
letter  from  Wm.  II.  Russel,  eulogizing  the 
Southern  cause.  And  he  was  an  English- 
man. But  Lizzie  saw  them  not ;  only  the 
eye  of  Him  who  governs  all  she  sought 
in  her  death-bed  visions !  Long  we 
waited  with  her ;  long  we  watched  her 
every  symptom.  Some  little  drugs  the 
doctor  gave  her,  and  then  he  ordered  not 
a  word  to  be  spoken.  How  long  we  sat 
in  silence  I  know  not ;  but  we  saw  her  face 
take  more  a  living  form  and  her  breath- 
ing was  like  one  asleep.  Then  we  left ; 
only  the  old  doctor  and  a  negro  girl  re- 
mained with  her.  On  the  day  following, 
all  the  city  papers  had  it  published ;  told 
the  whole  story. 

Here  Jenkins  bade  the  writer  to  end 
this  chapter,  for  he  assures  me  that  that 
which  follows  is  so  deeply  absorbing  to 
the  mind  that  historians  will  refer  to  it 
for  a  thousand  years  to  come. 


CHAPTER    XYI 


BEING  SO  IMPORTANT  THAT  IT  NEVER  OCCURRED  WHILE  THE  UNFORTUNATE  YICKEY  AND  THE  MISFOR- 
TUNATE  WADSWORTH  WERE  SO  UNCEREMONIOUSLY  AND  SO  UNCONSCIOUSLY  SEPARATED  FROM  THEIR 
LOVES  BY  THE  VERY  MEANS  THAT  MOST  OF  ALL  THEY  SUPPOSED  WOULD  LEAD  TO  THE  HAPPY  CON- 
SEQUENCE, BEFORE  ANY  OVERT  ACT  OF  WAR  SHOULD  BE  COMMITTED  AGAINST  THE  NATIONAL  GOV- 
ERNMENT by  Lincoln's  entrance  into  Washington  and  his  inauguration,  now  the  all-ab- 
sorbing TOPIC  IN  EVERYBODY'S  MIND. 


The  writer  here  informed  Jenkins  that 
the  above  sentence  was  rather  more  parlia- 
mentary than  Congressional. 

"  Why  ?  "  said  he. 

"  Why,"  said  I,  "  if  parliamentary  is 
derived  from  the  French,  signifying  talk- 
ing testament,  the  above  is  wilful  and 
jDlain  to  be  seen.  Had  you  used  the  word 
of,  instead  of  in,  in  the  last  line,  you  had 
made  sense  out   of  "  all-absorbing,"  and 

rendered  it "   But  he  interrupted, "  All 

right !  all  right !  Begin — begin  !  "  And 
thereupon  he  turned  to  the  notes  and  read 
the  following,  to  wit : 


SCENE   IN   MR.  EDGE'S   PARLOR.       MRS.  AND 
MR.    EDGE. 

Mr.  Edge. — "  Think  you  this  has  not 
been  successful  ?  " 

Mrs.  Edge. — "  Oh,  certainly — very  suc- 
cessful ! " 

Mr.  Edge. — "  I  am  as  thankful  as  I  can 
be.  Taking  the  season  through,  I  can't 
put  it  short  of  sixty  thousand  dollars  ;  and 
when  I  count  in  the  new  contracts,  I  make 
it  upward  of  seventy  thousand." 

Mrs.  Edge.— "Oh,  I  didn't  allude  to 
money ;    I  only  felt  worried  a  little,  on 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


131 


account  of  my  sister's  coming  and  spend- 
ing so  much,  and  not  seeing  much  of*  a 
prospect  for  anything  favorable  coming 
out  of  it." 

Mr.  Edge.—"-  Pshaw  !  that's  nothing. 
Besides,  who  knows,  may  be  that  old  rat 
will  stick  to  his  bargain  when  it  comes  to 
the  pinch." 

Mrs.  Edge.— "Why !  you  call  him  a 
rat!" 

Mr.  Edge.— "The  old  Judge?  Well, 
we'll  call  him  a  cat's  paw ;  no  matter. 
Still  I  can't  complain  ;  the  old  devil  has 
button-holed  many  a  Congressman  to  get 
jobs  through  for  me.  I  can't  be  ungrate- 
ful to  those  who  help  me." 

Mrs.  Edge.  —  "  Here  comes  Vickey." 
[Enter  Vickey.] 

Mr.  Edge.—"- 1  was  just  saying,  I  can't 
be  ungrateful  to  those  who  help  me,  and 
I  put  you  in  that  catastrophe." 

Vickey.— ■"  Category,  pa.  But  what 
for  ? " 

Mr.  Edge.—"  Why,  you  see  the  Judge 
takes  a  Congressman  by  the  button-hole, 
and  you  take  him  by  the  heart,  and  be- 
tween you,  you  make  him  lobby  the  big- 
gest kind  of  bill  through.  Nothing  like 
baiting  a  trap  with  plenty  of  cheese.  I've 
stuck  them  to  the  tune  of  at  least  sixty 
thousand  this  season." 

Vickey. — "Indeed,  have  you  made  so 
much  ? " 

Mr.  Edge.—"  I  have  ;  and  if  I  take  in 
the  contracts,  I'll  put  it  at  seventy  thou- 
sand. Enough  to  buy  you  a  new  set  of 
jewelry." 

Vickey. — "  Oh,  of  course,  enough  ;  but 
will  it  do  it  ?  " 

Mr.  Edge.—"  To  be  sure ;  you  shall  have 
jewels  immensurate  with  your  services." 

Vickey. — "  Commensurate,  pa.  But  I 
have  nearly  lost  all  fancy  for  fine  jewels, 
and,  in  fact,  for  every  thing  else  fine." 

Mrs.  Edge.—"  Why,  my  daughter,  how 
unpetuous  you  talk  !  We  have  been  dis- 
cussing on  our  success,  and  your  pa  and  I 
have  concluded  to  give  a  grand  reception, 
and  we  are  going  to  pectorate  you  off  in 
the  finest  jewels  we  can  muster  up." 

Vickey—"  Why  this  is  news  to  me ! 
But  ma  you  mean  decorate,  not  pectorate. 
When  did  you  resolve  on  this  ?  " 

Mr.  Edge.—"  Just  now.  We're  going 
to  give  Washington  a  histe  in  the  recep- 
tion business.  I'm  going  to  have  the  old 
Judge  to  manage  the  machine,  and  you've 
got  to  lay  the  ropes ;  and  I  want  you  to 
conflumux  everything  got  up  by  Mrs. 
Davis  or  Miss  Lane,  or  any  other  of  these 
political  whangdoodles.  We  must  make 
our  farewell  sensation  something  to  mellow 
down  the  whole  Capital." 


Vickey. — "  Why,  now,  that  will  be  per- 
fectly splendid ! " 

Mr.  Edge. — "  You  see,  I've  seen  a  little 
of  this  far-off  gemillikeu,  but  it's  not  the 
stuff.  If  Prescott  wants  you,  he's  got  to 
hit  the  nail  square  on  the  head.  We  want 
none  of  this  how-come-you-so  kind  of 
courtship.  Your  mother  and  I  sit  slap  up 
'longside  when  we  courted,  and  we  said 
the  thing  we  thought.  None  of  your  out- 
side leggers-in  for  us  !  We're  going  to 
show  what  we  can  do  when  Ave  try  ;  and 
if  that  suits  him,  all  right— eh,  mother  ?  " 
[Vickey  hangs  Iter  head  abashed.] 

Mrs.  Edge.—"  Oh,  of  course,  we  go  in 
for  the  reception,  and  we  will  certainly 
make  a  big  thing  of  it." 

Mr.  Edge. — "  1  know  you  will,  especially 
if  our  Vickey  takes  it  in  hand.  Come 
here,  daughter."  [He  kisses  herx  and  bids 
her  set  about  making  all  provision  for  the 
great  event,  and  she  leaves  in  the  greatest 
apparent  joy. ,] 

We'll  follow  her.  We  care  little  for  Mr. 
Edge  ;  he  goes  to  his  railroad  contracts  ; 
he  studies  all  the  rules  of  economy  and 
intrigue.  Mrs.  Edge,  too,  she  is  burdened 
about  Prescott's  intentions  ;  and  also  about 
her  old  maiden  sister.  She  fears  her 
sister  will  make  blunders  in  fashionable 
life  ;  she  sees  not  herself,  neither  does  any- 
body else.  And  so  we  leave  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Edge  a  while,  turning  to  the  good  girl 
Vickey,  whose  smattering  inception  of  cul- 
ture was  her  misfortune. 

The  clerk  feared  the  Judge  would  come 
in  the  general  parlor,  and  so  he  stationed 
himself  near  Vickey's  private  parlor,  in 
order  to  have  his  love  adventure  unknown 
to  the  Judge.  He  had,  therefore,  no 
sooner  been  apprized  of  Vickey  leaving 
her  mother  and  father's  presence,  than  he 
fell  back  a  pace,  and  waited  to  assail  her 
affections. 

"  O  joy  !  joy  !  "  said  he,  as  soon  as  she 
approached  him.  "  Never  fair  lady  looked 
on  so  happy  a  man!  Behold  me— look 
what  a  wondrous  change  !  Am  I  noble  ? 
Am  I  vain  ?  fortunate  ?  wealthy  ?  zealous  ? 
ambitious  ?  proud  ?  commanding  ?  here 
mark  you  my  lordly  bearing !  And  so 
many  fools  bow  down  to  me.  My  dear  sir  ! 
My  very  considerate  sir  !  Shall  I  speak 
to  your  honor  ?  Oh,  isn't  it  glorious  !— to 
be  drunk  with  joy !  to  have  a  fortune 
thrust  upon  one ;  to  be  one  day  a  clerk, 
with  every  guest  calling  and  growling  in 
one's  ears,  and  the  bitter-smiling  snarl  to 
bear  in  the  name  of  hired  man  ;  and  then 
in  a  day  to  be  transformed  into  a  very 
prince  o'f  fortune,  and  feel  the  soft  caress 
and  deep  solicitude  that  the  natural  noble- 


132 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


ness  has  so  long  sought  for !  Oh,  Miss 
Edge,  Miss  Edge,  be  joyful !  Sing  me 
your  sweetest  songs ;  play  me  your  tenderest 
music  !  For  really  I  am  intoxicated  with 
the  happiness  of  the  present  hour." 

Vickey  was  a  good,  unsuspicious  girl, 
and  knew  not  what  to  make  of  so  sudden 
a  burst  of  joy  ;  but  she  urged  him  to  tell 
her,  for  she  said,  there  was  nothing  in 
man's  nature  so  winning  to  woman's  heart 
as  this  capacity  to  be  happy.  But  he 
feigned  not  to  hear  her  for  a  while,  rub- 
bing his  hands  together,  and  ejaculating 
with  great  warmth : 

"  Oh,  I  shall  go  to  Europe— to  the  royal 
courts  of  Britain,  France,  Germany,  Italy  ! 
Oh,  land  so  classic  to  classic  ears,  I  come  ! 
The  dreams  of  my  earlier  days  have  come 
upon  me  like  a  thunder-cloud  in  summer, 
to  electrify  and  set  on  fire  my  ever  out- 
bursting  soul  of  royal  emotion,  and  I  know 
no  quiet,  no  rest.  Come,  sing !  Come, 
play !  Romp  with  me,  play  me  your 
choicest  jokes !  Say,  you,  I  have  just 
come  in  possession  of  my  grandfather's 
fortune.  He  was  Earl  of  Standburgh, 
England.  I  have  the  title — the  money — 
Four  millions  sterling  !  And  I  shall  have 
a  seat  in  the  British  Parliament !  Say 
nothing,  keep  it  quiet.  But  come,  I  have 
a  word  for  you,  and  you  know  you  have 
received  many  introductions  through  me  ; 
there  are  many  ladies  here,  who  have  be- 
come very  desirous  for  my  company  for 
the  past  few  days  ;  the  very  ones,  too,  who 
would  not  deign  to  treat  me  civilly  as 
clerk,  and  now " 

Vickey. — "  I  thought  of  that,  and  noticed 
something  of  it." 

"  And  now,"  he  continued,  "  only  to 
those  who  treated  me  well,  will  I  even 
speak.  I  will  be  the  lord  I  am.  To  those 
who  spoke  me  kindly,  I  will  be  a  lord." 

Vickey. — "  Did  I  not  ever  treat  vou 
well  ? " 

"  Oh,  most  kindly,  Miss  Edge — most 
kindly,  indeed.  And  I  admire  you  for  it. 
I  esteem  you  above  all  others  for  your  many 
pleasantries.  And  for  that  reason  am  I 
come  to  you,  for  I  have  now  to  speak  to 
you  in  your  adversity."  He  stopped  short 
and  looked  down  a  moment. 

Vickey. — "  Of  my  adversity  ?  What 
do  you  mean  ?     You  frighten  me  !  " 

"  Of  your  adversity,  indeed.  But  be- 
lieve me,  Miss  Edge,  of  all  I  have  ever 
done,  to  try  make  you  happy  here  or  pro- 
mote your  best  interest  in  good  society,  I 
have  done  it  with  as  noble  a  heart  as  ever 
rested  in  the  bosom  of  man.  "When  you 
came  here  first,  I  beheld  in  your  match- 
less beauty — nay,  wince  not,  for  as  I  shall 
soon  be  in  foreign  lands  never  to  return 


here,  and  never  to  see  you  more,  it  be- 
hooves me  to  speak  you  honestly— I  be- 
held in  your  beauty,  your  grace,  and  nat- 
urally royal  accomplishments,  the  charms 
to  win  from  any  source,  no  matter  how 
exalted,  the  hearts  of  many  men.  In  some 
measure  I  guarded  you,  bringing  into  your 
presence  only  those  whom  I  knew  to  be 
truly  worthy.  One  by  one  I  have  seen  them 
take  up  with  you,  and  if  I  found  them 
unworthy,  I  drove  them  off.  You,' poor, 
bashful  creature,  fancied  they  dee 
you."  _ 

Again  he  stopped  a  moment  as  if  weigh- 
ing the  delicacy  of  his  subject. 

Vickey. — "  You  give  me  great  joy.  I 
fancied  I  lacked  in  accomplishments  for 
I  was  not  blind  to  those  apparent  Blights." 

"  Not  at  all ;  I  was  at  the  bottom  of  it  all. 
And  yet  not  all.  And  it  is  that  of  which 
I  would  speak  ;  for  as  I  am  a  nobleman 
by  title,  I  will  play  the  part  by  action. 
Oh,  villainous,  villainous  man,  what  vain 
conceits  and  crafty  measures  thou  would'st 
palm  off  on  unthinking  woman  !  Oh, 
what  corruptions  and  base  desires  this 
world's  made  of!  But  say,  you  know 
how  light  and  trifling  I  have  been  ;  well, 
I  saw  your  worth  and  loveliness.  I  intro- 
duced to  you  some  good  men  that  they 
might  win  the  prize  I  was  unable  to  sup- 
port in  the  glory  she  was  wont.  Amongst 
those  men  was  Prescott.  The  rest  you 
know, — only  this,  that  he  is  false  !  He 
says  he  would  not  marry  you  if  you  were 
owner  of  a  mountain  of  diamonds.  He 
says,  moreover,  he  was  only  taking  his 
wag  off  you.  I  declare  it  makes  my  blood 
boil.  For  a  mere  song,  ay,  for  a  song,  I 
would  go  shoot  this  fellow.  By  heavens  ! 
that  he  should  so  badly  treat  so  fair  and 
innocent  a  woman  !  Excuse,  I  weep  with 
madness.  But  these  things  shall  not  be 
known  in  Washington.  It  is  published 
here  you  are  soon  to  marry,  but  fortu- 
nately this  villain's  name  is  not  in  the  jJa- 
pers.  But  now  come  you  a  little  aside  ;  it 
shall  not  be  said  you  were  jilted.  You 
shall  marry  another,  and  that  other  shall 
pass  as  having  been  thewone." 

He  rested  here  a  moment  to  give  her 
time  to  speak,  but  she  merely  replied, 

"  So  vast  and  varied  have  been  your 
points  of  converse,  I  am  bewildered ;  I 
know  not  what  to  reply  to  so  fair  and 
good  a  man." 

"  Then  let  me  suggest,  for  you  must 
ascertain  that  of  which  I  speak.  Go  you 
to  Prescott,  and  ask  him  if  he  intends  to 
marry  you.  If  he  say  no,  then  remember, 
that  in  that  same  hour  of  your  adversity, 
there  is  in  waiting  for  you  the  hand, 
heart,  fortune,  title  of  one  who  will  ever 


LOVE  AND  WAPw  IN  18G0. 


133 


love  and  protect  you  with  a  most  sacred 
and  holy  care." 

She  leaned  her  head  on  his  breast,  and 
cried  bitterly,  saying, 

"  Oh,  sir,  I  have  no  one  to  love  me. 
For  weeks  and  months  I  have  suffered  a 
world  of  pain,  of  anguish." 

He  patted  her  a  little  on  the  back, 
stroked  her  black  curls,  kissed  her  on  the 
forehead,  and  pretended  also  to  weep,  and 
to  comfort  her. 

But  just  at  that  moment  the  old  doctor 
came  along,  having  returned  from  the  sick 
fugitive,  whom  he  declared  to  be  very 
much  better,  and  desirous,  he  said,  of 
communicating  something  of  importance 
to  Miss  Edge.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edge  then 
came  in,  and  the  clerk  put  off  in  short 
order,  leaving  Vickey  to  dry  up  her  tears 
as  best  she  could.  In  a  few  minutes  she 
was  off  to  see  the  fugitive,  and  to  hear  her 
story  of  so  much  importance.  The  clerk, 
was,  however,  much  elated  with  the  pros- 
pect of  marrying  the  heiress,  believing 
that  with  one  more  interview  he  could 
have  it  all  fixed  up.  Though,  in  passing 
along  the  hall,  whom  should  he  meet  but 
Judge  Francis,  who  had  another  bouquet 
of  flowers  stuffed  under  his  vest,  and  ready 
with  a  well-timed  speech  to  meet  the  same 
fair  one. 

"  Oh,  clerk,"  said  he,  "  is  it  you  that 
capers  ever  at  the  door  of  Miss  Edge's  par- 
lor ?  As  I  am  proprietor  of  Loudon 
Heights,  I  do  say  you  have  the  fairest  girl 
I  ever  saw." 

"  Indeed,  I'm  in  no  favor  there ;  but  I'll 
venture,  with  a  fortune  in  my  hand,  I 
would  make  you  tremble  in  vour  boots  for 
her." 

"Tut!"  said  the  Judge;  "I'm  old 
enough  to  be  her  father ;  but  do  you 
know,  I  think  you  have  some  knowledge 
of  the  affair  between  us  ?  " 

"  Not  at  all,"  said  the  clerk  ;  "  what  is 
it?" 

"  Entres  nous"  said  the  Judge,  "  I'm 
engaged  to  marry  her,  and  the  happy  hour 
is  appointed  here.  Do  you  see — and  I 
trust  you  will  mention  it  to  no  one — the 
last  time  I  saw  her,  which  was  last  night, 
I  urged  her  to  appoint  the  time  ;  but  she 
said  she  was  resolved  to  leave  it  all  to  her 
intended  husband.  I  named  to  her  Sun- 
day next ;  but  she  said  she  would  decide 
nothing  herself ;  that  she  had  given  away 
her  heart,  and  she  felt  as  if,  in  so  doing, 
she  had  given  away  the  wrorld.  There- 
upon she  took  a  fit  of  crying,  and  seemed 
to  feel  so  badly  about  it  that  I  urged  her 
no  more.  Now  you  see  I  have  it  all  my 
own  way,  and  so  I  appointed  Thursday 
night.     It  is  here  written  down,  and  you 


shall  carry  it  to  her,  for  she  is  tenderly 
affected  by  it." 

Having  said  this  much,  the  Judge  with- 
drew a  paper,  and  handed  it  to  the  clerk, 
and  these  words  were  upon  it,  to  wit : 

"  Dearest  of  all  on  earth,  your  intended 
has  consented  to  your  desire,  to  appoint 
the  time  for  our  marriage,  and  herewith 
names  next  Thursday  evening.  I  have 
waited  about  the  office  and  general  parlors 
all  day,  to  meet  you,  and  to  make  the  ap- 
pointment to  you  in  person.  But  your 
gracious  majesty  has  not  been  seen,  and  I 
am  obliged  accordingly  to  send  it  by  my 
excellent  friend,  the  clerk.  I  would  add 
also,  that  I  took  my  usual  pretended  nap 
in  the  garden  to-day,  watching  your  win- 
dow to  get  a  glimpse,  but  I  watched  in 
vain.  Some  important  affairs  of  state  call 
me  hence  this  night  and  to-morrow,  and 
perhaps  longer ;  but  as  soon  as  I  do  return, 
I  will  call.  Till  then  I  remain  as  usual, 
your  ever  loving  Judge." 

"  Oh,  how  fortunate  !  "  exclaimed  the 
clerk,  "  she  will  be  so  delighted  !  And  to 
think  I,  the  clerk — why,  it  is  excellent ! 
I  tell  you,  Judge,  I  never  heard  of  any- 
thing that  pleased  me  so  well." 

"  Come,  now,"  said  the  Judge,  "  let  us 
into  the  bell-wing,  and  crack  a  bottle  of 
Catawba ;  "  and  so,  laughing,  they  walked 
off  together. 

Here  the  writer  of  this  invaluable  his- 
tory was  interrupted  by  the  entrance  of 
our  friend,  a  translator,  who  very  cordially 
greeted  Jenkins,  whereupon  the  latter 
held  up  his  finger,  and  motioned  silence. 
I  saw  in  his  face  that  some  serious  matter 
was  brewing  in  his  soul.  "  Speak  !  "  said 
I,  "  speak,  Jenkins  !  Go  on  with  the 
story." 

But  he  smiled  not,  only  looked  at  me  as 
if  words  were  too  small  for  his  vast  emo- 
tion.    At  last  he  spoke  out : 

To  me  he  had  no  kindness  done,  but  yet 
he  had  me  won.  I  mean  Wadsworth. 
We  were  as  like  as  very  brothers.  Both 
young,  both  tall,  both  brave ;  but  he  the 
more  melancholy.  For,  indeed,  he  had 
more  cause ;  his  heart  was  bigger.  Of  all 
that  between  us  passed,  no  matter.  But 
we  kindly  changed  canes.  Mine  was  very 
crooked  and  large,  his  was  like  a  whip- 
stock.  But  now  he  had  the  larger,  and  I 
the  other  one.  Had  you,  in  a  lone  night, 
seen  him,  you  had  swrorn  by  that  ungainly 
gold-headed  stick  he  was  me.  Now  it 
had  been  resolved  by  divers  persons  that 
many  men  should  die  on  the  self-same  day 
that  the  fatal  knife  of  Orsini  should  pierce 


134 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER. 


Lincoln's  heart  in  Baltimore.  Amongst 
the  doomed  I  was  myself  marked  out. 
Behold  you  now,  that  near  the  river's  edge 
my  priceless  friend  had,  by  long  research, 
traced  the  course  of  gentle  Ann.  Here,  at 
times,  in  melancholy  humor  he  came  to 
muse  and  dream  of  her,  who,  he  had  heard 
had  been  drowned  in  crossing  the  river. 
Unguarded,  alone,  he  seats  himself  on  the 
bare  ground,  and  so,  amidst  tears  and  the 
dim  light  of  the  waning  day,  traces  first 
the  ripples  where  all  is  gloom  and  death, 
then  visions  noble  grasp  from  the  heaven 
above,  whither  time  our  sorrows  soon 
must  heal.  What  all  he  feels,  what  little 
speaks,  it  matters  not.  A  stealthy  tread 
from  behind  approaches  more  silent  lhan 
the  whispering  leaves,  and  deadly. 
Crouched,  hatless,  and  with  a  devil's  grin, 
a  very  bludgeon  uplift,  Orsini  springs, 
and  falls  the  blow  on  poor  Wadsworth's 
head.  Falling  then,  and  his  innocent 
blood  for  me  flowing — he  was  cast  into 
the  river !  Orsini  ran,  nor  man  nor 
woman  knew  yet  who  he  was.  But  all 
things  conspire  against  sin,  and  Heaven 
has  so  ordered  it  that  even  walls,  trees, 
and  dumb  earth  bear  evidence.  Though 
suffice  it  here,  on  the  day  following  all  the 
newspajters  announced  that  a  supposed 
murder  had  been  committed ;  that  the 
body  had  been  dragged  into  the  river, 
and  had  been  most  probably  carried  away 
by  the  tide.  The  knowledge  came  to  me, 
and  I  knew  by  the  cane  and  hat  who  the 
victim  was.  So  I  mourned.  I  mourned 
as  I  had  never  before  mourned.  But 
more  of  this  anon.  For  the  present  we 
must  turn  to  that  mortal  saviour  of  the 
republic — Scott ! 

Swiftly  now  did  he  despatch  Colonel 
Lamon  and  Fred.  Seward  to  meet  Lincoln, 
and  bring  him  through  to  Washington  in 
disguise.  They  met  Lincoln  in  Harris- 
burg.  They  cut  the  telegraph,  and  start- 
ed, passing  through  Philadelphia  at  night, 
and,  taking  a  sleeping-car,  rode  through 
to  Washington  unknown  and  unsuspected. 
A  carriage  was  in  readiness,  and  conveyed 
Lincoln  to  Willard's  Hotel.  Here  it  was  I 
first  saw  him ;  and  I  own  that,  when  I 
looked  at  him,  I  feared  for  the  great  re- 
public. However  honest  he  appeared,  he 
was,  evidently,  very  short  of  being  the 
owner  of  a  giant  intellect ;  though  his 
qualities  were  more  the  type  of  an  Ameri- 
can, more  the  manner  of  man  that  Amer- 
icans love,  than  any  other  that  was  ever 
made  President.  He  was  not  a  Kentucki- 
an,  nor  an  Illinoisian,  nor  Southern  nor 
Northern,  nor  Eastern  nor  Western,  but 
an  American.  His  aspiration  and  love 
were  not  for  a  county,  nor  for  a  State  but 


for  a  country.  So  unlike  Toombs,  Yancey, 
and  Davis,  who  loved  more  a  clan  than  the 
great  republic ;  who  reversed  the  order  of 
national  progression,  by  setting  States  and 
factions  against  each  other.  The  one  was 
unity,  power,  and  glory.  The  other  was 
division,  weakness — death  ! 

One  was  a  terror  to  foreign  powers ;  the 
other  was  inviting  them  to  feast  on  our 
funeral.  For  herein  is  the  philosophy — 
if  a  State  can  secede,  so  can  a  party  ;  and 
if  a  party,  so  can  an  individual ;  and  there 
is  the  end  ;  for  no  law  could  be  binding. 
The  national  Government  must  command, 
and  each  State  be  dependent ;  for,  even  as 
three  men  do  build  three  houses  conjointly, 
the  one  in  the  middle  shall  not  pull  his 
part  down  without  the  consent  of  all. 
Such  a  man  would  be  a  criminal,  and  the 
other  two  should  punish  him.  'Twas  thus 
that  honest  Lincoln  spoke,  but  in  homelier 
phrase.  His  style  was  weak  ;  character  he 
had  none.  He  was  a  blank  sheet  of  paper 
whereon  the  nation  should  write  its  will, 
and  he  was  an  honest  judge,  to  sift  and 
do  their  full  desires  as  fairly  as  if  he  wrere 
God's  decree.  He  was  an  American. 
Pomp  he  had  not,  nor  command,  nor  ex- 
planation. Reserved,  wise  with  his  little 
wisdom,  and  so  inviting  strength  from  all 
his  countrymen  that  loved  their  country, 
and  not  dividing  them  by  his  self-esteem 
or  arrogance.  God  never  made  a  better 
man  for  such  a  season.  Was  he  weak — 
'twas  just  enough  to  make  the  nation  feel 
its  own  need  of  doing ;  wras  he  slow — 
'twas  just  enough  to  fire  the  nation  with 
speed  ;  was  he  conscientious — 'twas  that 
silenced  his  enemies ;  'twas  that  that  made 
the  nation  exacting.  Thus  he  seemed 
when  first  I  saw  him,  and  he  seemed 
always  so  afterward,  nor  did  he  ever  prove 
otherwise.  To  forerun  this  history  I  must 
add,  he  was  a  stick  of  circumstance  ;  the 
happiest  choice,  the  wisest  placed,  and  as 
noble  a  type  of  an  American  as  ever  God 
made.  Now  he  had  come  to  Washington 
— come  to  be  inaugurated  President  of  one 
of  the  wealthiest  of  nations — President  of 
five  and  thirty  millions  of  people. 

He  had  come  unknown,  unexpectedly 
to  the  secessionists.  Scott  did  it.  This 
little  thread,  this  little  nucleus  was  pre- 
served by  Scott.  Oh,  Scott,  immortal 
Scott !  While  all  the  nation  slept,  thy 
vigilant  heel  stunned  the  viper's  head. 
This  little  act  all  hell  o'erawed,  and  the 
devils  South,  dismayed,  in  silence  stood. 
This  was  the  first  balk  the  great  rebellion 
had ;  but  even  as  villains  more  by  craft 
than  bravery  win,  so  now  the  secessionists 
yet  another  fatal  plan  marked  out,  which 
was,  that  inasmuch  as  Lincoln  had  foiled 


136 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER;    OR, 


them  in  Baltimore,  it  was  threatened  that 
he  should  die  at  his  inauguration.  But 
more  of  this  anon  ;  Buffice  it  here,  Lincoln's 

arrival  sprca  1  like  wild-fire.  People 
meeting  at  the  corners  stopped  to  tell  it, 
and  neighbors  went  to  tell  one  another. 
Never  was  such  another  time  in  Washing- 
ton. Private  citizens,  ay,  the  commonest 
man  and  child  was  drunken  with  excite- 
ment, was  conscious  of  the  near  advent  of 
the  awful  day.  Not  a  moment's  peace  or 
rest  had  any  man,  and  the  highest  in  office 
were  taxed  with  tenor,  were  prostrate, 
were  weeping  in  despair.  But  most  who 
suffered  was  Buchanan.  He  had  not  only  a 
dread  for  a  great  war,  and  fear  for  his  own 
life,  but  his  conscience,  even  Ins  small 
conscience,  had  at  last  turned  against  him, 
and  was  now  battering  his  thin  soul  to 
atoms.  Like  a  timorous  woman  when  the 
ship's  on  fire,  he  could  only  wail,  and  ask 
every  passer-by  what  the  prospect  was. 
And  if  passers-by  came  not  frequently,  he 
would  sally  forth  and  halt  by  the  way  to 
ask  any  one  he  chanced  to  meet,  "  Are  you 
sure,  where  the  commissioners  are  ?  Do 
you  think  they  will  carry  out  their  threats  ? 
Oh,  that  Lincoln's  time  would  come ! 
Welcome  4th  of  March  !  Oh,  sir,  1  never 
thought  it  would  come  to  this,  or  I  had 
left  my  party  !  I  cannot  pray.  My  God, 
who  will  pray  for  me  ?  Is  there  a  man  in 
America  can  pray  for  one  so  neglectful  as 
I  have  been  ?  Through  me,  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  men  shall  die.  Countless 
widows  and  orphans — O  heavens!  how 
can  I  ask  forgiveness!  The  Constitution 
was  made  to  hold  the  nation,  but  I  let  it 
bend,  and  now,  alas,  it  is  broken  !  Pity 
me,  pity  me,  ye  gods!  I  am  mad,  I  am 
mad  !  Say,  you  sir,  if  Lincoln  comes, 
will  I  not  lie  in  less  danger?  I  think  so. 
Oh,  indeed  1  think  so  !  They  would  not 
wring  my  neck." 

Thus  would  he  go  on  whenever  he  found 
a  person  to  listen  to  him,  hoping  thereby 
to  gain  a  little  sympathy. 

Nowr,  if  you  please,  we  shall  refer  back 
to  the  Jackson  House,  and  you  shall  hear 
of  such  a  strange  adventure  as  no  man 
could  invent  were  he  not  to  follow  true 
history. 

As  the  Judge  and  the  clerk  returned,  I 
met  them  in  the  hall.  "  Ha,  Jenkins  !  " 
said  the  Judge,  seizing  me  by  the  arm, 
"  I'm  so  glad  to  see  you  !  Come  up — 
come  up  !  "  He  always  said  so  when  he 
took  anyone  to  his  private  drawing-room. 
It  was  not  up,  but  on  the  same  floor.  His 
whole  suite  of  rooms  were  on  that  floor. 
He  had  occupied  the  same  rooms  for  up- 


ward of  twenty  years,  save  the  time  in 
each  year  he  spent  ;it  his  plantation,  Lou- 
don Heights.  The  furniture  of  said  rooms 
was  twenty  years  old,  much  mended,  and 
out  of  fashion.  He  never  took  common 
folks  t<>  his  drawing-room — only  digni- 
taries, save  on  special  occasions.  When 
he  told  me  to  ••come  up."  I  knew  it  was 
for  some  important  purpose,  though  he 
showed  little,  if  any,  excitement.  He 
did  not  pull  me,  hut  rather  walked  with 
me,  one  hand  resting  on  my  arm  and  the 
Other  on  the  clerk's  shoulder.  He  is  very 
fat  and  short;  1  am  tall,  and  so  is  the 
clerk.  We  could  look  each  other  in  the 
face  over  the  Judge's  head.  The  clerk 
winked  at  me  to  keep  mum,  and  at  the 
same  time  motioned  the  paper  to  me.  As 
we  thus  marched  toward  the  drawing- 
room,  and  while  the  Judge  was  assuring 
us  of  the  quality  of  his  newly-opened 
wine-barrel,  we  met  that  almost  ever-pres- 
ent Prescott,  who  had  told  us  on  many 
occasions  that  he  was  preparing  himself 
to  write  history,  so  that  the  name  of  Pres- 
cott might  go  down  to  future  generations. 

"Ha,  Prescott  !"  said  the  Judge,  "come 
up  ;  I  will  unfold  to  you  such  matters  as 
will  make  a  greater  history  than  you  ever 
dreamed  of." 

"  Things  are  getting  warm,"  said  Pres- 
cott. 

"But  I  say  they  are  getting  hot,"  said 
the  Judge;  "and  yet  you  don't  know  the 
hottest  part  of  it.     Come  up." 

We  went  up.  This  drawing-room  was 
furnished  just  as  it  had  been  twenty  years 
ago,  save  the  wear  and  tear.  To  me  the 
Judge  shoved  up  an  old  arm-chair,  say- 
ing. 'Jenkins,  to  you  the  chair  of  honor. 
Sir,  the  greatest  men  of  America  have  sat 
in  that  chair.  The  last  who  occupied  it 
was  my  bosom  friend  and  companion, 
Henry  Clay.  I  shall  never  forget  that  oc- 
casion. It  was  soon  after  his  defeat  for 
President.  Webster  sat  yonder,  on  that 
slap-jack  stool.  Some  less  important 
friends  had  seats  here  also.  After  we 
drank  awhile,  Clay  hained  over  the  table 
—  so— taking  my  hand  and  Webster's  in 
his,  and  he  said  :  '  My  esteemed  friends, 
this  is  the  finale  to  my  ambition.  Long 
have  I  labored  to  attain  the  Presidency, 
to  carry  out  these  great  principles;  fir  I 
see  far  in  the  future,  after  I  am  dead  and 
forgotten,  that  the  clash  of  factions  will 
ultimately  come  upon  our  fair  land.  There 
are,  afar  off,  now  kindling  two  small  fires, 
which  will  some  day  envelop  this  nation 
in  flames.  I  have  labored  a  long  while  to 
pave  a  new  road  whereby  we  could  all 
walk  over  the  devouring  element.  But 
even  my  own  State  would  not  hear,  nor 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


131! 


can  the  populace  of  many  States  believe 
in  it.  Though  they  -will  some  day  learn, 
and  my  only  prayer  is,  that  future  gener- 
ations may  learn  by  these  things  that 
reason  and  justice  should  guide  them  in 
voting  for  any  party.  Now  I  leave  for 
Ashland,  and  to  Washington  return  no 
more.'  These  words,"  continued  the 
Judge,  "  were  the  last  words  he  ever 
spake  in  that  chair ;  and  he  spake  with 
that  tone  of  voice,  that,  hearing  once,  is 
ne'er  forgotten.  People  ask  me  to  repair 
my  furniture,  to  trade  it  off  and  get  new 
stuff.  Ha,  the  gods  !  I'm  made  of  better 
mettle.  Sit  you  here,  Mr.  Prescott,"  and, 
suiting  the  words,  he  then  placed  us  all 
comfortably,  and  we,  almost  jointly,  thank- 
ed him  for  such  exalted  kindness. 

Now,  as  you  are  aware,  the  left-hand 
side  of  his  drawing-room  is  next  the  lat- 
tice-falls of  the  outer  porch,  where  a  large 
window  opens  out  into  the  vine-covered 
corner.  Hardly  had  we  got  stationed  in 
the  room,  having  only  taken  one  turn  at 
the  wine,  when  we  heard  a  sepulchral 
voice  from  some  person  out  on  the  porch, 
and,  ere  we  got  an  insight  to  the  Judge's 
story,  we  found  ourselves  in  a  listening 
posture  to  catch  the  words  of  the  out- 
sider, whom  we  mistrusted  as  Buchanan. 

His  speech  ran  as  follows  : 
u  Weak,  weak  device  !  most  paltry,  paltry 

part ! 
This  is  more  foolish  than  the  others. 
Ignoble  now,  but  noble  when  devised, 
And  so  each  scheme  some  fairing  finds  at 

last, 
Though  seeming  first  so  fair  to  reconcile. 
What  next  ?    Did  ever  thief  devise  excuse 
That  seemed  to  others  just  ?     There  is  the 

rub. 
Others  judge  us,  and  with  their  own  judg- 
ment. 
Were't  not  for  this ;  but  no — no  matter 

now. 
Life  is  a  scene  of  ceaseless  trials, 
And  we  must  fail,  or  nature  death  would 

lose. 
From  low  estate  have  I  worked  my  way  up, 
And    many   rubs  and   jeers   and   insults 

borne, 
In  the  vain  hope  that,  when  I  reached  the 

top 
Of   my    ambition,   nothing    more   would 

grate 
Or  gnaw  on  my  too  sensitive  nerves. 
But  now,  alas  !  alas !  they  come,  like  flies 
Round  a  strong-smelling  carcass,  and  I'm 

hot ; 
By  thousands  stung,   by   millions   hated, 

shunned. 
Their  varied    adder-tongues    are    darting 
forth 


At  every  turn — but  some  are  worse  than 

others. 
At  first  I  did  indulge  those  common  men, 
To  hear  their  speech  to  please  them  ;  they 

were  sugared 
Over  at  first,  but  gradually  sour'd, 
Till  now  their  every  word  is  biting  acid. 
That  Davis  turned  !    My  God,  it  cannot  be ! 
But  most  that  biting  Prescott  do  I  feel. 

0  Death,  where  is  thy  sting  or  victory, 
But  to  stand  off  and  goad  me  with  long 

life? 

1  am  but  rubbish,  feeling  most  myself 
The  curse  of  my  own  worthlessness.     O 

Death — 
But  what  of  death  ?     I'm  so  unfit  to  die, 
And,  not  having  the  soul  of  prayer  in  me, 
I'm  cursed  by  earth  and  heaven  for  all  I 
do." 

We  thought  we  knew  the  voice,  and  Pres- 
cott whispered,  "  Buchanan  !  "  Though, 
when  the  speaker  mentioned  Prescott,  we 
all  turned  to  look  on  him,  and  he  listened 
with  renewed  vigilance,  almost  breathless. 
After  a  little  while  the  voice  on  the  porch 
became  inaudible,  and  Prescott  spoke  out, 
saying,  "  1  never  knew  where  the  money 
came  from,  nor  why  it  came ;  but  I  will 
know  now,"  and  with  a  rush  he  threw 
open  the  window.  There  sat,  as  we 
thought,  Buchanan,  pale  and  weeping. 

"  We  have  heard  your  soliloquy,"  said 
Prescott,  "  and  I  now  demand  an  explana- 
tion." 

Buchanan  sprang  up,  shouting  out, 

"  No — no,  sir.  Dare  you  insult  me  !  I 
made  no  soliloquy.   What  do  you  mean  ? " 

"  Sir,"  said  Prescott,  "  we  have  heard 
such  words  here  as  move  me  with  no  com- 
mon feeling." 

Buchanan. — "  What  impertinence  is  this  ? 
I  sought  out  this  retreat,  where,  in  days 
long  gone  by,  I  did  so  often  sit  with  our 
Mend  here,  the  Judge.  Here  I  come  to 
forget  the  cares  of  office — to  find  a  mo- 
ment's rest ;  nor  can  I  imagine  why  my 
solitude  is  disturbed." 

"  Say  you  not  you  spoke  in  soliloquy 
here  ? " 

"  Never  !  I  never  did  so  foolish  a  thing 
in  all  my  life." 

Prescott. — "  What  say  you,  Judge — were 
those  words  Buchanan's  ?  " 

Judge. — "  Perhaps  he  was  asleep,  and 
dreamt  aloud  ? " 

Buchanan. — "  No,  sir  ;  I  never  dream 
such  stuff.  It  is  all  malice  and  slander. 
I  am  an  innocent,  long-suffering  man,  and 
I  curse  the  day  I  was  ever  made  President. 
It  shall  be  said  I  was  the  death  of  the 
Democratic  party,  and  that's  what's  kill- 
ing me.  What  do  I  care  for  you  or  your 
mother  ?      Must   all   men    be    slandered, 


138 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


merely  because  they  have  some  fault  ? 
Pray,  sir,  cast  nothing  more  than  my  sins 
upon  me,  for  I  have  that  which  you  never 
felt — a  conscience." 

"  Well  spoken,"  said  the  Judge ;  but 
what  more  he  said  none  of  us  knew,  for 
at  that  instant  were  heard  out  of  doors 
countless  voices  shouting  out, 

"  Lincoln  has  come !  Lincoln's  in  Wash- 
ington !     He  ran  through  in  disguise  !  " 

Buchanan  said,  "  Thank  God,  I'm  safe 
at  last !  I  have  preserved  the  great  re- 
public, and  can  now  hand  it  down  to  my 
successor  in  all  its  integrity  and  glory. 
Heaven  save  me  till  I  get  out  of  Washing- 
ton, and  the  devil  take  the  country  then." 

When  he  spoke  so  irreverently,  I  re- 
marked ironically,  that  all  the  country 
would  thank  him  for  his  well  wishes. 

"  What !  you,  too  ? "  said  he,  and  he 
glared  at  me  as  if  he  were  indeed  none 
too  sound  in  mind,  and  in  fact  I  almost 
doubted  if  I  had  not  mistaken  the  person. 
"I  had  thought,"  he  continued,  "that  at 
least  one  man  would  continue  true  to  so 
devoted  an  adherent  of  the  Constitution." 

Said  I,  "  I  buy  no  friendship,  and,  if  I 
must  speak  plainly,  I  know  why  you  ab- 
sent yourself  from  your  Mansion.  You 
have  no  longer  a  face  for  your  faults,  and 
timorously  hide  from  those  you  suffered 
to  betray  you.  I  am  as  grieved  to  turn 
against  you  as  you  can  be  by  it ;  but  I  am 
aware  you  had  solemn  warning  from  Scott, 
Seward,  and  Cass.  Had  you  sided  with 
them,  your  any  blunder  had  been  excused 
in  consequence  of  their  eminence  and 
patriotism ;  but  you  chose  to  aid  and 
abet  those  who  repudiated  patriotism, 
those  who  violated  their  oaths  of  office, 
and  you  knew  it  at  the  time.  Ay,  you 
not  only  knew  it,  but  you  made  me  write 
messages  to  excuse  it." 

He  made  no  reply,  but  curled  his  lip, 
trembling  from  head  to  foot.  This  was 
the  occasion  on  which  Prescott  spoke,  and 
the  following  is  an  abstract  of  his  famous 
irony,  which  soou  became  the  household 
words  for  millions : 

"  You  have  preserved  the  Union  in  all 
its  integrity  and  glory.  You  have  pre- 
served freedom,  for  you  have  given  men 
freedom  to  build  batteries  for  the  destruc- 
tion of  Sumter  and  Pickens.  You  have 
given  Anderson  freedom  to  surrender  or 
starve.  You  have  left  Lieutenant  Slem- 
mer  free  to  behold  his  enemies  erecting 
abattis   and   breastworks,  and  mounting 


cannon  for  his  destruction.  You  have 
preserved  the  custom-houses  and  post- 
offices,  by  giving  them  over  into  the 
hands  of  secessionists.  You  have  given 
Floyd,  Thompson,  Cobb,  Toombs,  Davis, 
Iverson,  and  even  criminal  Yancey,  free- 
dom to  abuse  the  sense  of  the  Southern 
people  by  their  falsehoods,  that  the  North 
was  about  to  make  a  raid  on  slavery,  and 
you  never  gave  them  an  official  contradic- 
tion. Hand  it  over  in  all  its  integrity  and 
glory !  Your  official  inaction  and  reti- 
cence has  left  the  people  free  indeed — but 
free  with  blindness,  with  madness.  Poli- 
ticians have  run  away  with  the  Govern- 
ment, and  the  people  are  free  to  cut  each 
other's  throats.  Why,  indeed,  should  you 
sigh  for  the  4th  of  March — why  long  for 
a  full  retirement  ?  Behold  you  not  how 
many  millions  will  weep  ?  See  you  not 
those  rivers  of  tears  from  a  grateful  peo- 
ple, whose  liberties  you  have  preserved  ? 
Oh,  I  wonder  not  that  half  insane  you 
wander  here,  to  ruminate  on  your  coming 
praise  and  glory  !  'Tis  too  much  for  a 
common  mortal." 

"  Sir,  had  you  not  a  heart  in  it,  you 
could  never  speak  so  cruelly.  Your  part 
you  paint  so  well,  I  remember  now  no  ex- 
cuse. But  oh,  sir,  such  threats  and  abuse 
as  I  have  had  from  the  other  side  !  God 
knows  how  earnestly  I  have  tried  to  go 
by  the  Constitution  !  " 

He  sobbed  violently  even  while  he  spoke, 
and  then,  with  some  apparent  madness, 
started  for  the  door,  and  escaped  outward, 

"Zounds,"  said  the  Judge,  "I  almost 
question  wThether  that  be  Buchanan  or 
Buchanan's  ghost.  Or  are  we  drunk  on 
my  new  wine  ?  "  Thereupon  we  shook 
ourselves  to  see,  but  we  decided  that  we 
were  sober.  Just  then  a  delegation  ar- 
rived from  Scott,  demanding  my  imme- 
diate presence. 

Thus  was  our  affair  with  the  Judge 
broken  up,  and  we  tasted  but  a  glass  of 
wine,  nor  heard  his  great  secret.  For  my 
own  part,  I  hurried  off  to  Scott,  who 
greeted  me  cordially,  and  briefly  informed 
me  that  I  was  to  go  to  Montgomery  forth- 
with, as  it  was  necessary  to  have  some 
definite  knowledge  of  the  expected  at- 
tack on  Washington. 

Here  Jenkins  closed  this  chapter,  inti- 
mating that,  as  everybody  knows  about 
gentle  Ann  being  in  Montgomery,  it  is 
not  necessary  to  mention  anything  new 
before  it  occurs. 


OHAPTEK  XVII. 


BEING  THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  SO-CALLED  CONFEDERATE  GOVERNMENT  AFTER  ITS  ORGANIZATION, 
WITH  ALL  THE  NECESSARY  OFFICERS  FOR  A  GENERAL  NATIONAL  GOVERNMENT  ON  THE  CORNER- 
STONE OF  SLAVERY,  CHARACTERIZED  BY  EARL  RUSSELL  AS  A  NATION  STRUGGLING  FOR  LIBERTY, 
AND  BY  THE  BRITISH  AND  MOST  OF  THE  EUROPEAN  GOVERNMENTS  ACKNOWLEDGED  AS  A  BELLIGERENT 
POWER,  WHILE  ONLY  FORTY  MEN  COMPRISED  ITS  ORGANIZATION,  AND  ELECTED  DAVIS  FOR  PRESI- 
DENT AND  STEPHENS  FOR  VICE-PRESIDENT,  STYLING  THEMSELVES,  "  WE  THE  PEOPLE  OF  SEVEN 
SOUTHERN  STATES  ASSEMBLED,"  ETC.,  AND  THE  SOUTHERN  PEOPLE  BELIEVED  THEM  J  AND  SHIFTING 
SOON  OVER  TO  THE  HEROINE  OF  THIS  MOST  REMARKABLE  PERIOD,  AND  HER  ADVICE  TO  ROMANTIC 
YOUNG  LADIES. 


"  That's  a  long  sentence,"  said  I. 

"  Yes,"  said  Jenkins ;  "  that's  just  the 
mystery  of  this  great  book.  You  can  find 
a  "Cicero  and  a  Bacon  on  its  every  page, 
with  now  and  then  a  little  sea-room  for 
Quackenbos." 

"  All  right,"  said  I ;  "  let  it  pass."  He 
then  turned  to  the  translator,  and  asked 
him  to  read  to  me  from  the  notes,  stating 
that  he  wanted  a  day  off,  and  he  then 
added,  "  We  must  finish  the  book  to-mor- 
row. Five  days  are  enough  in  which  to 
write  a  book.  Otherwise  it  will  be  a  long 
time  ere  we  are  done  writing  the  Courts 
of  Jud^e  Francis  Underhill."  At  that  he 
left.  The  translator  then  took  up  the 
notes,  and  read  as  follows,  to  wit : 

The  excitement  in  Washington  knew 
no  bounds 

"  Stop  !  "  I  said ;  "  substitute  for  '  knew ' 
the  word  '  had,'  and  let  it  pass." 

He  smiled,  and  read  on : 

Life  and  property  were  no  longer  safe. 
Every  man  was  suspected  to  be  a  spy, 
either  for  the  national  Government  or  for 
the  rebels.  Scott  had  found  a  man  to  join 
him  in  the  preservation  of  the  country — 
Joseph  Holt,  now  Secretary.  By  their 
management  a  slight  hope  had  begun  to 
be  entertained  throughout  the  country 
that  the  national  Government  would  be 
maintained  till  Lincoln's  inauguration. 
The  rebels,  on  the  other  hand,  were  be- 
ginning to  fear  that  their  golden  oppor- 


tunity would  pass  unimproved.  At  first 
they  designed  usurping  the  whole  national 
Government ;  next  they  resolved  upon  es- 
tablishing a  Southern  government,  and  of 
reducing  the  Northern  States  to  provinces. 
Now,  however,  they  had  evidence  that  to 
secede  and  establish  a  Southern  confed- 
eracy would  be  all  they  were  able  to  ac- 
complish. To  do  this  effectually,  it  was 
necessary  that  Washington  should  be  cap- 
tured and  destroyed.  It  was  described  by 
the  Southern  newspapers  as  a  "pest  for 
the  Northern  scum  to  congregate  in." 

Scott  and  Holt,  on  the  part  of  the  na- 
tion, had  but  a  small  army,  and  were 
obliged  to  do  what  they  could  unknown 
to  Buchanan.  For  this  purpose  a  vast 
number  of  private  detectives  were  de- 
spatched to  gather  in  all  evidence  of  the 
conspirators'  designs.  Thus  it  was  I  was 
despatched  to  Montgomery,  again  in  dis- 
guise, again  to  outwit  the  men  who  had 
heretofore  outwitted  me. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  look  Scott  gave 
me  ere  I  took  my  departure.  I  told  him 
I  knew  not  what  disguise  to  assume,  nor 
how  I  could  possibly  escape  with  my  life, 
were  I  to  undertake  this  adventure. 

"Life  has  nothing  to  do  with  these 
things,"  said  he.  "  It  must  be  done,  and 
I  know  no  fitter  man." 

The  next  day  I  arrived  in  Montgomery. 
But  as  the  following  is  taken  from  my 
report  before  the  courts  of  Judge  Francis 
Underhill,  they  are  substituted  here,  as 
being  entirely  satisfactory  to  everybody. 


140 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


Judge. — "  What  took  you  to  the  prison  ? " 
Jenkins. — "  An  order  had  been  issued 
by  the  rebel  government  offering  a  full 
pardon  to  all  the  convicts  who  would  en- 
list as  soldiers.  It  seemed  remarkable  that 
a  government  just  established  by  such 
boasting  men  should,  in  the  onset,  fill  the 
rank  and  file  in  this  manner.  I  went, 
with  others,  to  see  if  the  convicts  would 
volunteer.  The  prison  had  three  apart- 
ments ;  only  one  was  opened.  Thirty-one 
male  prisoners  were  let  out,  and  they  all 
volunteered.  I  was  curious  to  know  who 
the  convicts  were  in  the  other  parts  of 
the  prison.  Some  one  said  there  were 
some  women  and  some  political  prisoners 
still  left  in.  The  crowd  all  left  then,  and 
I  also  left,  for  I  wanted  to  see  what  dis- 
posal would  be  made  of  the  newly-made 
volunteers.  This  was  on  the  24th  day  of 
February.  Two  days  previous  to  this 
Davis  had  issued  an  edict  declaring  all 
vessels  in  Southern  harbors  foreign  ves- 
sels. Duties,  embargoes,  and  press  money 
were  demanded,  and  Southern  custom- 
houses were  established  in  a  day.  A 
chain-cable  was  stretched  across  the  Mis- 
sissippi, so  that  not  a  vessel  from  the 
North  could  pass  down  without  first  halt- 
ing to  pay  duty.  Volunteers  were  there- 
fore in  great  demand,  for  there  were 
already  upward  of  a  thousand  prominent 
points  in  the  South  needing  a  military 
force.  But  the  place  most  likely  to  en- 
gage in  battle  was  Charleston,  and  to  this 
place  a  vast  army  was  being  concentrated. 
The  convict  volunteers  I  speak  of  were 
started  off  for  Charleston  in  less  than  two 
hours  after  they  were  liberated.  They 
were  mustered  into  a  regiment  called 
'  Bloody  Dogs.'  The  regiment  left  Mont- 
gomery at  fifteen  minutes  past  six  in  the 
evening.  Nearly  all  the  town  had  come 
to  see  them  off.  It  was  here  I  heard 
Russel  compare  the  army  South  with 
what  the  North  would  be  likely  to  raise." 
Judge. — "  Can  you  give  his  words  ?  " 
Jenkins. — "  Yes,  sir.  He  pointed  to  the 
convict  volunteers,  saying  to  Davis  and 
Stephens,  '  Those  are  the  lads  for  soldiers  ! 
Always  give  me  your  devil-may-care  man 
for  a  good  soldier,  and  for  a  great  army 
give  me  men  that  have  known  and  ac- 
knowledged their  superiors.  It  is  this, 
gentlemen,  that  puts  you  ahead  of  the 
North.  Up  North  there  is  no  authority. 
Even  little  boys  are  taught  hberty  in  the 
North,  and  many  of  them  think  nothing 
of  arguing  and  disputing  with  even  their 
own  fathers  and  mothers ;  so  that,  when 
they  have  become  men,  it  is  impossible 
for  them  to  ever  be  soldiers.  They  would 
not  obey  their  officers.    On  the  other  hand, 


the  nature  of  your  Southern  institutions 
has  built  up  a  class  of  superior  men,  who 
will  be  most  cheerfully  obeyed." 

Judge. — "You  know  those  were  his 
words  ?  " 

Jenkins.— •"  Exactly,  only  I  have  culled 
out  the  useless  words.  He  also  wrote  a 
letter  embodying  the  same,  and  it  was 
published  at  length  in  a  newspaper  called 
the  London  Times.  It  was  called  a  very 
ably  written  letter,  with  much  philosophy 
in  it." 

Judge. — "  Was  he  drunk  when  he  spoke 
or  wrote  those  sentiments  ?  " 

Jenkins. — "  I  think  not.  Some  said  he 
was  a  little  mad  at  the  North,  because, 
one  Sunday,  he  went  shooting  birds  in 
Illinois,  and  was  fined  for  it ;  on  which 
occasion  he  spouted  rather  violently 
about  his  august  position,  when  before 
that  Court  in  Illinois  he  delivered  to  the 
magistrate  these  very  words,  to  wit : 

1  You  Western  suckers,  you,  how  dare 
you  presume  to  assume  to  make  and  estab- 
lish and  lay  down  laws  on  morals,  and  reli- 
gion, and  virtue,  and  observing  Sunday,  as 
no  proper  and  good  day  on  which  to  shoot 
birds  ?  The  meaning  of  the  word  England 
is  law  and  gospel,  and  whenever  we  go 
outside  of  England,  we  mean  to  take  a 
little  recreation  in  worldly  sports,  and 
pastimes,  and  amusements,  and  hunting 
birds,  and  shooting ;  and,  sir,  it  is  the 
height  of  presumption  for  any  country  in 
the  world  to  presume  to  assume  to  make 
and  establish  and  lay  down  laws  for  gov- 
ernment of  the  Sunday  conduct  and  pleas- 
urable amusements  of  one  of  her  Britan- 
nic Majesty's  most  honored  subjects. 
Morals  out  here  in  Illinois  ! '  These,  his 
words  before  the  court,  which  were  con- 
sidered by  the  London  Post  to  be  excel- 
lent argument,  and  such  as  would  be  likely 
to  arouse  the  American  people  to  higher 
notions  of  liberty,  were  here  laughed  at. 
This  enraged  him,  and  hence  the  senti- 
ment before  mentioned,  regarding  North- 
ern degradation." 

Judge. — "  What  were  the  replies  of  Davis 
and  Stephens  when  this  neutral  corre- 
spondent made  this  comparison  ?  " 

Jenkins. — "  They  said  nothing,  but 
smiled,  and  winked  to  each  other  on 
the  sly.  They  then  walked  off  together, 
but  had  not  gone  far  when  the  despatch 
came  announcing  Lincoln's  arrival  in 
Washington.  Davis  threw  up  both  hands, 
saying,  '  My  God !  can  this  be  true  ? ' 
Stephens  merely  said  '  Damnation  I '  I 
apprehended  no  more  demonstration  that 
day,  and  did  not,  therefore,  follow  after 
them.  They  went  toward  the  Exchange 
Hotel,  where  they  sojourned.     I  conversed 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


141 


with  many  people,  and  became  almost  con- 
vinced myself  that  the  destruction  of  the 
American  Government  and  the  substitution 
of  the  slave  confederacy  would  be  accom- 
plished in  a  grand,  jolly  spree.  It  did  not 
look,  from  that  standpoint,  as  if  any 
formidable  opposition  could  be  raised 
against  the  new  government.  It  was  no 
wonder  at  all  that  everybody  became  an 
enthusiastic  Confederate.  The  leaders  kept 
the  people  blind  on  that  subject — kejjt 
them  intoxicated  with  excitements." 

Judge. — "  But  what  of  the  prison,  Mr. 
Jenkins  ?  " 

Jenkins. — "  I  was  coming  to  that.  When 
the  crowd  dispersed,  I  walked  leisurely 
along,  without  any  design.  It  was  then 
nearly  dark ;  you  could  not  distinguish 
your  friend  more  than  twenty  paces. 
When  near  the  prison,  I  sat  down  to  rest, 
and  to  reflect  on  the  awful  affairs  ap- 
proaching the  country.  Not  long  had  I 
been  there,  when  I  saw  skulking  along, 
behind  the  old  .rubbish  of  brick  and 
stones,  a  form  that  seemed  not  much 
larger  than  a  fox,  and  yet  I  was  sure  it 
was  some  person.  It  looked  like  a  little 
girl  with  her  clothes  closely  tucked  in 
about  her.  Up,  down,  round,  off,  it  was 
gone.  What  could  it  be  ?  Had  I  rushed 
up  at  once,  I  had  discovered  all  about  it ; 
but  I  lingered  long  in  astonishment,  and 
then  got  up  and  followed  slowly  after. 
Nothing  of  it  could  I  discover,  nor  could 
I  see  a  place  of  exit,  unless  the  thin  little 
creature  had  passed  into  the  walls  of  the 
prison.  On  coming  over,  however,  near 
the  wall,  I  observed  a  small  opening  that 
led  into  a  vacant  and  half-finished  cellar, 
where  some  builder  had  no  doubt  not  long 
since  designed  erecting  a  habitation,  but 
had  abandoned  it  on  account  of  the  com- 
ing war.  I  sat  down  to  muse  again  on 
the  varied  woes  of  our  fair  land ;  and 
while  I  sat  there,  seeing,  passing  and  re- 
passing, the  fine,  noble  young  men  who 
were  hurrying  forth  with  swords  and  mus- 
kets, preparing  to  battle  alike  noble  young 
men  of  the  North  who  esteemed  them  as 
brothers,  I  could  not  but  weep  for  the 
abuse  of  their  minds.  They  had  been 
told  that  the  North  were  bound  to  destroy 
slavery,  and  hence  their  fury.  Even  intel- 
ligent America  must  fall  by  politicians' 
lies.  Then  I  remembered  my  friend 
Wadsworth ;  and  the  fair,  gentle  Ann. 
I  almost  wept,  for  I  thought  them  both 
dead.  And.  in  musing,  I  thought  Heaven 
sent  me  sweet  sounds  to  still  my  deep 
emotions.  For,  like  the  gurgling  water 
in  a  cavern,  hollow,  sweet  music  lived  as 
in  depth  beyond,  and  nestled  in  echo  most 
sublime  'neath  the  prison  or  in  the  ragged 


wails  around.  I  thought  my  melancholy 
had  some  respite  found,  but  then  again  I 
thought  I  heard  a  voice — the  voice  of 
gentle  Ann  !  And  lo  !  I  never  wept  so 
much,  or  more  suspense  suffered.  Breath- 
less sat  I  there,  and  gushing  tears  rolling 
down  my  cheeks — the  voices  were  so  low 
and  sweet.  Must  I  burst  this  silence,  and 
madly  rush  to  the  awakening  scenes  of 
my  vivid  fancy  ?  Reason  most  command- 
ed, and  I  burned  even  while  the  tempest 
held.  Again  the  sound  of  that  voice,  and 
then  a  long  silence — like  the  fevered  suns, 
when  seldom  comes  the  life-like  air,  and  I 
perishing  there,  but  could  not  move.  First 
in  minutes  treasured,  then  an  hour,  then 
two.  three.  But  no,  not  more  than  three  ; 
for  then  I  heard  a  stone,  as  if  falling,  and 
steps  secretly  passing,  gliding  like  a 
zephyr.  Quick  I  start  and  downward 
look,  in  the  low,  rude  aisle,  amongst  rub- 
bish ;  cbimbing,  mounts  the  little  thin 
form — and  out  on  the  plain  speeds  from 
my  sight.  Again  I  was  alone,  but,  after 
some  hesitation,  went  down  into  the  ex- 
cavation, and  found  my  way  to  the  prison 
wall — a  thing  of  brick  and  logs,  and 
rudely  shaped.  Here  I  found  a  crack, 
and,  hesitating  some,  seeing  nothing  in 
the  darkness  round  me,  I  knocked  against 
the  opening.  What  followed,  hark,  and 
you  shall  learn. 

"  As  in  the  dark  night  the  timid  sparrow 
lone  sits  trembling  for  the  danger  near, 
herself  her  frailness  knowing,  and  her 
little  spirit  enduring  the  awful  suspense 
of  uncertainty — so,  in  the  confederate  cell, 
sat  our  sweet,  our  gentle  Ann.  Watchful, 
weary,  with  imagination  wild,  to  start  at 
even  a  cricket's  sound,  and  the  long-hair- 
ed, snarling  faces  of  confederate  soldiers 
seeing  in  the  shadows,  hearing  their  hiss 
and  scowl  as  they  roared  out  to  her  sensi- 
tive ear,  '  Abolitionist ! '  And  thus  she 
thought,  but  spoke  not :  '  Give  me  a  trial ! 
Give  me  into  the  hands  of  any  justice ! 
Go  to  Washington — nay,  at  my  expense 
hire  you  a  hundred  witnesses,  to  prove 
me  good  or  bad ;  pick  you  of  those  who 
most  do  hate  an  Abolitionist,  only  let 
them  ascertain  who  I  am,  and  I  am  con- 
tent with  your  disposal.'  Thus,  at  times, 
she  had  spoken  to  the  curious  crowd 
gazing  at  her,  but  the  only  reply  she  ever 
received  was,  '  Abolitionist ! '  Then  came 
the  '  Ladies'  Regiment ; '  and,  when  they 
looked  in,  they  said,  '  Ha,  jailer,  let  her 
out !  "  and  they  whetted  their  butcher- 
knives  on  the  ground.  Some  of  them 
mimicked  her  weeping,  and  others  said, 
'  We  know  Perkins.  He  gives  you  a  good 
character.'  But  this  was  irony  ;  for  Per- 
kins, having  professed  to  join  the  confed- 


142 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


erate  army,  was  above  suspicion.  He  had 
accused  her,  on  the  evening  when  they 
were  both  taken  prisoners.  He  told  her, 
on  that  occasion,  that  if  she  would  marry 
him,  he  would  not  only  liberate  her,  but 
return  with  her  to  Washington  ;  but  that, 
if  she  denied  him,  she  should  stand  ac- 
cused. This  was  before  they  were  put 
into  prison,  he  having  obtained  the  privi- 
lege to  speak  to  her  privately.  But  she 
answered  him,  saying,  '  Accuse  me ! ' 
'  Then  will  you  suffer,  and  perhaps  die  ! ' 
said  he ;  '  but  I  shall  volunteer,  and  so 
be  liberated.  You  will  be  hanged  for  an 
Abolitionist,  if  no  one  protects  you.'  '  I 
know  that  One  will  save  me  ! '  she  said, 
and  she  pointed  upward.  'Indeed!'  he 
said ;  •  now  for  your  purity  and  faith  I 
curse  you  ! '  and  he  turned  to  the  crowd, 
saying,  '  Seize  her ;  she  is  an  Abolition- 
ist !  She  was  caught  in  the  act  of  run- 
ning away  with  a  slave.  I  was  with  her 
because  I  loved  her  fair  face,  but  the  foul- 
ness of  her  heart  has  turned  me  against 
her.  Take  her,  and  cast  her  in  prison.' 
The  crowd  then  bore  her  to  prison,  but 
Perkins  started  for  "Washington  as  fast  as 
he  could,  to  get  a  written  consent  from 
the  Judge  to  marry  her.  The  crowd  of 
people  then  brought  the  slave-girl  Kate 
before  her,  and  they  asked  her  if  this 
young  lady  was  an  Abolitionist,  and  if 
she  had  tried  to  run  away  in  her  com- 
pany. The  slave  girl  answered,  '  Yes ; 
she  tried  to  run  away  with  me,  but  we 
were  caught.'  They  took  them  then  to 
prison,  and  gentle  Ann  was  put  in  a  lone 
cell.  But  Perkins  was  no  more  around. 
Though,  as  in  all  human  affairs,  God  hath 
so  much  His  Spirit  implanted,  the  trumpet 
of  Divine  power  had  sounded  to  the  bot- 
tom of  that  slave-girl's  soul.  In  a  short 
time  she,  herself  a  prisoner  and  a  slave, 
was  taken  to  the  cotton-fields,  but  only 
to  fly  again  for  freedom,  and  to  repay  the 
godlike  attempt  for  her  own  liberty  by 
gentle  Ann.  For  such  is  nature.  Com- 
ing now  by  stealthy  means  to  the  prison 
where  gentle  Ann  was  bound,  she  espied 
through  the  crevices  in  the  cell — and  so, 
at  night,  unobserved,  the  nearest  part  ap- 
proached. Tapping  lightly,  lest  at  the 
hour  of  night  the  sparrow  die  for  terrible 
fear,  she  announced  her  name  and  mission. 
'  I  am  Kate,  the  slave  girl.  I  have  again 
run  off,  but  I  have  come  for  you.  Tell 
me — for  you  are  wise — what  I  shall  do 
to  liberate  you  ? ' 

Almost  like  death  the  words  had 
fallen,  and  the  fair  lady  most  her  very 
life  suspected  for  its  transit  into  heaven. 
For  this  was  the  first  kind  voice  for  many, 
many  long  weeks.     Leaning  then  close 


against  the  wall  where  wa9  found  the 
crevice,  she  timorously  asked  if  it  were 
indeed  her  own  dear  Kate.  Of  this  she 
was  assured,  and  then  an  interchange  of 
thought  went  on,  till  Kate  proposed  to 
go  to  Washington  for  assistance.  For 
this  journey  she  had  no  money,  and  many 
difficulties  were  before  her.  She  would 
be  obliged  to  walk  all  the  way,  and  to 
live  by  begging  her  bread  from  the 
slaves  by  the  route  of  her  passage.  She 
might  be  captured  as  a  runaway  slave,  or 
even  as  a  spy.  But  she  resolved  upon  the 
task,  even  though  gentle  Ann  reluctantly 
gave  consent  that  she  should  risk  so  much. 
The  two  girls  then  kneeled  down,  the  one 
in  prison  and  the  other  out,  and  they  pray- 
ed for  that  guidance  and  protection  which 
Divine  Wisdom  alone  can  give. 

Thus  left  our  Kate  for  Washington — 
to  see  and  to  tell  the  Judge  all  about  his 
niece ;  but  ere  she  left,  she  provided  a 
little  slave-girl  to  visit  the  prison  nightly, 
to  see  if  anything  could  be  done  for  the 
comfort  of  gentle  Ann.  This  little  crea- 
ture, ere  the  hour  of  locking  up  slaves, 
would  steal  across  the  vacant  lots,  down 
by  the  way  mentioned  before,  and,  with 
three  gentle  knocks  on  the  door,  call  to 
the  crevice  the  fair  prisoner,  and  at  times 
putting  through  the  crack  in  the  wall 
some  choice  food  which  had  no  doubt 
been  stolen  on  her  account.  Thus  from 
day  to  day  watched  and  waited  the  acused 
Abolitionist,  without  proof  or  trial — for 
how  could  it  be  otherwise  ?  Military 
always  supersedes  civil  courts  on  political 
prisoners.  But  one  course  was  left  where- 
by she  could  hope  for  succor — could  Kate 
reach  Washington,  find  the  Judge,  and  he 
get  here  before  war  actually  commenced. 

Many  days  the  slave  had  been  gone, 
and  the  prisoner  was  almost  despairing, 
her  only  comfort  being  in  speaking  to  the 
child  that  brought  her  something  at  night. 
As  for  the  day,  it  brought  only  the  hiss 
and  scowl  of  'Abolitionist!'  or  the  wretch- 
ed yearning  of  the  '  Ladies'  Regiment '  to 
butcher  her.  She  knew  her  weakness,  and 
hence  her  fear.  Those  ladies  had  threat- 
ened over  and  over  again  to  come  on  the 
sly  and  kill  every  Abolitionist  in  the 
prison.  •  Ann  watched  for  them  at  every 
moment,  day  and  night.  Her  visitor 
gave  three  knocks — loud,  soft,  loud.  Who 
gave  not  these  knocks,  must  be  an  enemy, 
a  would-be  murderer." 

Judge. — "  How,  then,  came  you,  Mr. 
Jenkins,  to  an  understanding  with  her  ?  " 

Jenkins. — "  As  I  said  before,  I  knocked 
on  the  wall,  but  I  knocked  on  the  wrong 
place,  and  I  knocked  four  or  five  times 
instead  of  three." 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN    I860.. 


143 


Judge. — "  "Well,  what  was  the  result  ?  " 
Jenkins. — "  There  was  no  result.  I  then 
knocked  louder  than  before,  and  a  good 
deal  more.  Some  one  seemed  to  sigh 
within.  '  Will  you  tell  me  who  is  in  this 
cell  ? '  I  asked.  All  was  silent  again.  In 
another  moment  I  knocked  louder  and 
harder.  Again  I  heard  the  sigh — a  deep, 
heavy  sigh — and  again  I  spoke,  saying, 
'  Tell  me,  poor  prisoner,  who  you  are,  and 
what  fate  awaits  you.  I  am  no  enemy, 
but  a  friend.  While  sitting  just  above 
here,  on  the  embankment,  I  thought  I 
heard  the  voice  of  a  long-lost  and  dear 
one,  and  I  now  knock  on  the  prison-wall 
to  satisfy  this  burning  thought,  to  learn 
at  least  who  it  is  that  has  another  such 
sweet  voice.'  Long  I  waited  for  an  an- 
swer— so  long,  indeed,  I  almost  feared  I 
had  been  speaking  to  the  barren  walls. 
Just  then  I  heard  a  slight  knock  from 
within,  with  the  question,  '  Who  is  here  ? ' 
I  was  certain  I  knew  the  voice,  but  I  still 
used  discretion,  saying,  '  One  from  Wash- 
ington, a  friend  to  Judge  Francis  Under- 
bill, of  Loudon  Heights.  I  was  a  school- 
mate of  his  niece.  She  is  lost,  or  perhaps 
dead  ;  but  I  thought  I  heard  her  voice  in 
this  prison.'  '  Oh,  is  it  possible  ' '  said 
she.  '  To  know  of  this !  To  know  of 
this.  What  could  have  severed  that  di- 
vine chain  whereby  I  was  bound,  and  now 
reverts  me  back  to  it  ?  Verily  a  pledge 
to  Heaven,  though  by  children,  is  watch- 
ed over  and  cared  for  by  God  Himself! ' 
Said  I,  '  It  seems,  indeed,  as  if  I  had  been 
sent  by  Providence ;  for,  must  I  tell  you, 
though  my  heart  breaks,  our  friend  Wads- 
worth  is  no  more  ! '  '  Oh,  say  not  so  ! ' 
'  I  would  it  were  possible  to  say  otherwise.1 
This  was  all  that  was  said  for  some  time  ; 
I  heard  her  crying,  and  I  was  myself  much 
moved,  for  I  felt  I  was  venturing  on  the 
most  hallowed  scene  ever  known  to  mortal. 
After  a  while  we  so  far  conversed  as  to 
make  some  amends  for  the  long-lost  love 
between  us ;  and  I  assured  her  I  would 
rescue  her  at  once  from  prison,  and  con- 
duct her  safely  back  to  Washington.  With 
these  assurances  from  me,  and  with  a  thou- 
sand tender  thanks  from  her,  we  parted,  I 

to  the  jailer,  she  to  solitary 

"  To  be  brief,  I  found  the  jailer,  and 
opened  my  business  with  him  at  once. 
His  name  was  Randolf,  and  he  looked  so 
carelessly  gotten  up,  I  involuntarily  com- 
pared him,  in  my  mind's  eye,  to  a  tow- 
string  half  twisted.  He  was  a  little  in- 
toxicated, and  his  conversation  was  a 
volume  of  oaths,  with  a  few  chance  words 
in  it.  The  word  '  Abolitionist '  was,  from 
his  mouth,  an  island  in  an  ocean  of  oaths, 
whereon  he  strove  to  manifest  the  bitterest 


hate  that  could  be  invented.  To  this  man 
— if,  indeed,  such  profanity  could  emanate 
from  a  man — I  spoke  in  this  wise  :  '  The 
prisoner  is  not  an  Abolitionist.  I  have 
known  her  from  infancy  up ;  she  is  mis- 
tress of  Loudon  Heights.  There  are  be- 
longing to  her  uncle's  estate  two  hundred 
slaves.  She  has  been  falsely  accused  for 
some  other  purpose ;  she  is  indeed  an 
estimable  Southern  lady.'  Over  and  over 
did  I  repeat  this  to  him,  and  he  ever  an- 
swered me  with  the  word  '  Abolitionist ! ' 
ever  joining  thereto  the  usual  oaths.  But 
I  continued,  denying  with  all  my  ability 
that  she  was  now,  or  ever  had  been  in  any 
way,  an  Abolitionist.  At  last  he  ventured 
to  suppose  my  statement  true,  wanted  to 
know  what  I  would  do  with  the  prisoner, 
and  how,  above  all  things,  she  could  be 
gotten  out  of  confinement.  Said  I,  '  If  I 
were  jailer,  and  your  daughter  confined 
under  a  false  accusation  in  my  jail,  I  would 
liberate  her,  trial  or  no  trial.'  '  I  have  no 
daughter,'  said  he,  swearing  worse  than 
before.  And  then  he  twitted  me  on  the 
fact  that  I  had  not  treated  to  the  whiskey. 
Hereupon  I  took  the  thought  that  my 
liberality  might  turn  to  advantage,  and 
accordingly  I  took  him  into  an  inn  near 
by,  and  gave  him  a  good  many  drinks. 
Now,  after  we  had  taken  much  whiskey, 
and  discussed  the  troubles  North  and 
South  pretty  freely,  and  had  each  of  us 
told  many  humorous  stories,  he  told  me 
that  we  had  better  return  to  the  prison ; 
'  for,'  he  added,  '  if  I  get  much  drunker, 
a  fellow  might,  on  the  way  to  the  prison, 
drop  fifty  dollars  into  this  pocket,  and 
take  this  key  out  of  that  pocket,  and  so 
liberate  a  prisoner,  and  I  would  never 
know  how  it  was  done.'  We  got  up, 
then,  and  walked  toward  the  prison,  and 
fifty  dollars  went  into  his  pocket,  and  im- 
mediately thereafter  the  key  came  into  my 
hand.  By  some  means  wye  got  separated, 
then,  and  I  reached  the  prison  a  little  be- 
fore him.  Strange  to  say,  the  mistress  of 
Loudon  Heights  was  there  waiting  for  me, 
and  she  came  and  leaned  on  my  shoulder, 
and  cried  piteously.  I  said  many  kind 
things  to  her,  and  she  repaid  me  only  with 
weeping.  Soon  after  this  we  lifted  up 
our  feet,  and  stood  on  something,  and  it 
carried  us  very  fast.  It  was  something 
that  was  leaving  Montgomery,  and  might 
have  been  a  freight  car.  But  the  funniest 
of  it  wras,  the  next  morning  the  Mont- 
gomery papers  noticed  the  fact  that  a 
prisoner  endeavored  to  escape  last  night, 
but  was  captured  by  the  citizens,  and 
hung.  I  wrote  those  notices,  to  put  peo- 
ple off  the  track ;  I  had  done  such  things 
before." 


144 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


Judge. — "  Now,  Mr.  Jenkins,  you  have 
done  well ;  but  bear  me  at  tbe  otber  end, 
and  tben  take  note." 

The  Judge  then  adjusted  his  old  silver 
spectacles,  and  told  us  this  story,  to  wit : 

"  Scott  kept  me  on  the  run.  It  was 
Judge  this  and  Judge  that  on  everything. 
My  opinion,  my  knowledge,  my  advice 
must  forerun  everything  that  was  to  be 
done  for  the  preservation  of  the  great  re- 
public. In  fact,  it  reminds  me  of  Mrs. 
Howard  at  the  ball,  being  teased  to  dance. 
'  Here,  Sal,'  says  she,  '  hold  my  baby,  till 
I  trot  that  fellow  through  with  the  yellow 
breeches.'  I  had  to  save  the  nation,  and 
needs  must  trot  these  fellows  through 
with  yellow  breeches,  only  I  had  no  baby, 
but  something  else,  as  you  all  know,  of 
much  more  value.  Now,  as  I  am  a  Judge, 
and  as  I  hope  to  live  to  see  established  a 
high  protective  tariff,  to  make  every  vil- 
lage in  America  into  a  Sheffield  and  a 
Birmingham,  but  the  weight  of  these 
great  affairs  had  somewhat  told  on  my 
too  sensitive  nerves ;  and  it  seems  to  me 
now,  when  I  remember  it,  with  the  rebels 
in  arms  five  thousand  strong  organized  to 
come  from  Harper's  Ferry  on  the  day  of 
Lincoln's  expected  inauguration,  while  on 
that  same  expected  eve  I  should  venture 
that  great  change  in  life  which  I  can  never 
mention  but  in  awe  ;  for,  though  I  am  not 
old,  I  am  not  young,  and  it  seems  that  the 
approaching  affairs  were  more  terrible  than 
ever  before  one  man  withstood.  For  you 
see,  one  might  upset  the  other.  If  Wash- 
ington be  taken,  and  sacked  and  burned, 
as  they  do  things  in  war,  what  kind  of 
jubilee  can  we  have  that  night  ?  I  tell 
you — for  you  are  not  unacquainted  with 
my  expected  adventures — with  these 
weighty  affairs  to  bear,  what  more  could 
harrow  the  soul,  to  hide  them  in  oblivion  ? 
Now  drooping,  but  still  in  haste,  the  man 
absorbed  in  'proaching  war,  and  betimes 
forgetful  only  for  the  fairest  of  the  fair. 
I  had  a  niece,  and,  though  she  was  the 
purest  and  sweetest  that  e'er  the  sun  shone 
on,  I  was  forgetful  of  her.  Alack,  my 
frenzied  brain  !  Torment  me  not,  O  ye 
harrowing  swords  of  justice,  till  this  I  do 
confess !  Forged  missives,  not  like  her 
hand  at  all,  were  given  me,  to  teach  me 
she  was  in  Canada ;  and  I  believed  them 
— for  I  was  mad.  I  read  them  not.  Oh, 
fool,  fool— cruel  fool !  My  niece  ?  Had 
I,  in  mine  own  expected  joys,  forgotten 
the  mistress  of  Loudon  Heights — scarcely 
took  a  thought  where  she  was  ?  But 
blind  deviltry  will  out.  '  Say  !  say  ! ' 
some  one  spoke  to  me  as  I  hurried  up 
the  Avenue,  and,  turning,  there  I  beheld 
that  villain  Perkins.    '  Say,'  said  he,  '  your 


niece  is  in  prison  down  south  for  Aboli- 
tionism.' I  was  thunderstruck,  but  silent ; 
but  he  went  on— oh,  the  cold  villain  ! 
'  The  letters  you  have  received  are  all 
forged.  She  is  locked  up.  I  can  free 
her,  but  I  will  not,  unless  you  give  your 
consent  for  me  to  marry  her.  Neither 
will  I  tell  where  she  is.  She  sent  me  to 
you  for  your  consent,  and  told  me  to  say 
that  she  prayed  in  God's  name  she  might 
lie  in  prison  as  long  as  she  lives,  if  you 
refuse  us.'  This  was  the  sort  of  stuff  he 
put  on  me  ;  and  he  spoke  so  fairly,  look- 
ing me  so  tenderly  in  the  eye — for  a  snake 
may  own  a  passive  eye — and  I  was  con- 
founded with  the  burden  of  my  own 
thoughts.  Reluctantly  to  this  villain's 
plea  I  did  consent,  and  we  drew  writings 
on  it,  whereby  I  portioned  out  for  them 
quite  a  fortune.  Soon  then  he  left,  and  I 
mused  with  much  unhappiness  on  what  I 
had  done.  I  was  almost  distracted ;  for, 
though  one  be  slow  to  passion,  it  is  more 
terrible.  Days  passed,  but  time  was  out 
of  joint.  I  hoped  Heaven  might  avert 
the  dread  fate  to  my  dear  niece.  One 
day  a  young  lady,  with  a  negro  servant 
in  attendance,  accosted  me  on  the  street, 
saying,  '  Excuse  my  forwardness,  sir,  but 
is  not  your  name  Judge  Francis  Under- 
bill ? '  I  told  her  '  yes,'  and  she  imme- 
diately replied,  '  Then,  sir,  I  am  sorry  to 
say  your  niece  is  in  Montgomery  jail  for 
Abolitionism.  She  sent  me  to  see  you, 
and  to  tell  you  to  come  to  her  assistance, 
as  she  is  in  great  distress.'  I  was  more 
astounded  than  ever,  and  much  pained 
with  the  uncertainty  of  what  I  heard. 
To  know  if  these  things  be  true,  for  a 
moment  I  prayed  to  Heaven — and  you 
know  it  comes  tough  for  me  to  pray  ;  but 
the  lady,  seeing  my  embarrassment,  con- 
tinued :  '  Make  no  doubt  of  my  words, 
but  haste  you  in  silence  to  her  assistance, 
or  she  must  die.  1  am  the  slave  girl  Kate, 
with  whom  she  ran  off.  She  told  me  to 
come  right  to  you,  and  make  a  clean 
breast  of  it,  and  you  would  not  only 
understand,  but  protect  me.  I  have  no 
servant ;  this  one  I  brought  as  a  disguise  ; 
she  is  also  a  runaway.'  I  feared  some 
trick  was  being  played  on  me ;  I  am 
naturally  suspicious  about  some  things, 
and  I  replied,  '  My  niece  is  too  fair  and 
too  gentle  to  be  spoken  of  in  this  manner. 
Whoever  plays  a  joke  on  her,  knows  not 
the  sacredness  of  a  pure  heart ;  and  as  for 
myself,  in  God's  name,  trifle  not  with  me 
about  such  a  woman  ! '  '  Sir,'  said  she, 
'  as  I  am  living,  I  tell  the  truth.  Behold 
you  this  fine  apparel ;  think  you  it  is  be- 
coming the  slave  girl  Kate  ?  Now  see, 
what  a  stock  is  here  ! '     Saying  this,  she 


LOVE  AND  WAR   IN    1860. 


145 


so  spread  her  dress  that  I  saw  she  had  on 
rags  underneath.  '  Fine  ladies,  who  sport 
a  servant,  generally  wear  better  under- 
clothes. As  for  me,  this  servant  stole  a 
dress,  and  so  made  me  a  lady.'  She  was 
so  pert,  and  did  so  prettily  turn  her  head, 
I  could  not  but  remember  the  wife  of  my 
late  lamented  friend,  General  Andrew 
Jackson.  His  wife,  when  a  girl,  was  a 
little  spoiled  pet,  and  her  father  opposed 
her  marriage  with  Jackson.  One  day, 
after  he  had  admonished  her  for  some 
time,  she  said,  '  Now,  father,  do  you  know 
I  think  you  are  a  mighty  smart  man,  and  a 
good  man,  but  you  are  nothing  'longside  of 
Andy  Jacksou.  Bet  you  anything  he'll  be 
great,  some  day.'  I  always,  as  the  old  Gen- 
eral used  to  tell  me  of  her,  tried  to  picture 
out  what  kind  of  a  girl  she  was ;  and  as 
I  am  Judge  of  Loudon  Heights,  I  had 
made  her  in  my  mind's  eye  just  like  this 
snub-nosed  beauty.  I  could  hardly  be- 
lieve she  was  an  American  slave,  nor 
could  I  doubt,  in  case  of  war  here,  but 
the  British  Government  would  take  posi- 
tive side  with  freedom.  I  had  seen  the 
slave-girl  Kate,  but  in  common  duds  she 
was  common ;  now  she  was  in  a  nice  frock, 
and  looked  a  chirp  little  queen. 

"  Having  satisfied  myself  with  her  story, 
I  ordered  her  and  the  servant  to  the  Jack- 
son House,  and  immediately  started  for 
Montgomery.  How  I  met  you  on  the  way, 
you  know  quite  well.  My  poor  niece, 
weary,  sick,  and  disconsolate — she  that 
was  so  mirthful  and  sweetly  wild,  to  come 
and  fall  in  my  arms  like  one  at  the  briuk 
of  death  !  Do  you  know  what  she  said  ? 
'  Oh,  uncle,  forgive  me  !  I  was  so  little  ac- 
quainted with  the  world  ! '  And  then, 
after  a  while,  you  know,  she  said,  '  Girls 
of  romance  are  girls  of  inexperience.' 
Everything  she  said  made  me  think  she 
was  dying.  But  most  I  was  moved  when 
she  said,  '  Take  me  back  to  Loudon 
Heights.'  This  had  been  her  home,  where 
I  had  watched  over  her  as  if  she  were  a 
tender  flower.  Poor,  poor,  dependent 
girl !  Who  would  not  love  dependent 
woman  ?  But  her  grief  was  too  quiet. 
Something  within  was  sapping  her  life- 
chords.  Perhaps  she  loved  Wadsworth ; 
for  I  know,  when  I  told  her  he  was  dead, 
she  turned  pale,  and  her  eyes,  though  filled 
with  tears,  had  no  motion.  '  How  far  is 
it  to  Washington  ? '  she  said,  after  a 
pause  ;  and  I  knew  she  was  weary  for  the 
small  conception  I  had  of  her  full,  burst- 
ing heart.  Nor  did  she  know  mine.  Nor 
do  any  of  you  know.  I  have  given  Per- 
kins a  bond,  and  he  may  come  here  to 
demand  her,  to  torment  her  to  death. 
We  have  her  safe  in  Washington,  but  this 


thing  works  hard  on  my  too  sensitive 
nerves ;  for  I  shall  not  refuse  him  but  by 
this  heavy  forfeit." 

Here  the  Judge  exhibited  the  duplicate 
bond,  and  then  sat  down ;  but  as  the  reader 
of  this  history  ■will  be  curious  to  know  the 
particulars  of  my  own  affair  witli  gentle 
Ann,  I  will  here  state  that,  ere  we  had 
reached  Washington,  an  understanding 
was  come  to,  whereby,  on  the  eve  of  the 
inauguration,  we  were  to  be  made  man 
and  wife.  So,  therefore,  when  we  had,  in 
the  court  of  Judge  Francis  Underhill, 
each  one  given  in  his  evidence,  I  had 
nothing  more  to  do  than  to  inform  the 
Judge  it  was  all  right.  This  being  the 
end  of  the  sitting,  we  were  all  soon  en- 
gaged in  congratulating  one  another  on 
the  apparently  happy  issue,  and  then,  as 
soon  as  the  Judge  had  given  the  following 
charge  to  the  jury,  we  dispersed  : 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  Jury  :  You  have  now 
the  case  before  you.  We  may  never  meet 
again,  and  I  charge  you  to  govern  your- 
selves accordingly.  To-morrow  is  Inaugur- 
ation Day ;  I  cannot  be  with  you.  Since 
the  days  of  Thomas  Jefferson  I  have  been 
the  hey-day  man  on  these  great  occasions. 
You  know  the  peril  of  that  office.  I  must 
hold  Lincoln's  hat  while  he  is  sworn  in. 
It  is  to  be  on  the  portico  of  the  Capitol. 
Buchanan  and  Lincoln  will  be  taken  in  a 
carriage  from  Willard's  Hotel.  The  mem- 
bers of  our  court  will  be  the  honorary 
guard.  Two  thousand  seceders  are  armed 
with  knives  and  pistols,  to  mix  with  the 
vast  assemblage,  and  then  to  fall  on  us 
and  murder  us.  Scott  has  an  army  so 
portioned  out  he  can  sweep  the  streets  at 
a  given  signal.  Five  thousand  seceders 
are  expected  from  Harper's  Ferry.  They 
are  already  crying  out  for  vengeace,  be- 
cause Lincoln  was  not  killed  in  Baltimore. 
This  is  their  desperate  day.  Though  it  is 
to  be  inauguration,  they  are  resolved  to 
make  it  disorganization  day.  If  we  fail, 
the  nation  perishes.  If  Lincoln  is  in- 
augurated, all  will  be  well ;  and,  to  glorify 
that  great  event,  I  will  myself,  on  the 
evening  thereafter,  so  astonish  this  court 
by  what  I  shall  do,  that  all  the  country 
cannot  contain  your  joy  and  merriment. 
But  look  you  well  to  it ;  to-morrow  we 
shall  have  some  rich  adventure." 

Now  it  so  happened  that  none  of  us 
knew  for  certain  that  the  Judge  was  con- 
templating marriage  on  the  next  evening ; 
and,  being  gentlemen,  we  dared  not  be 
inquisitive  as  to  exactness,  though  we 
were  much  interested  in  querying  one 
with  another,  to  ascertain  his  meaning. 
For  my  own  part,  I  took  his  arm  (not  he 
mine,  as  many  of  the  newspapers  had  it), 


140 


TIIE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;    OR, 


and  we  walked  down  from  the  Temple  to- 
gether, on  the  way  to  the  Jackson  House. 
Not  far  had  we  gone,  when  whom  should 
we  meet  but  Professor  Jackson,  who  stood 
shyly  at  the  roadside  for  lack  of  good 
clothes,  and  called  to  me  as  we  drew  near, 
saying, 

"  How  are  you,  Sir.  Jenkins,  and  Judge 
Underbill  ? " 

We  halted  a  moment,  and  he  advanced 
to  shake  hands,  holding  his  knees  close 
together,  for  he  had  a  rent  in  his  trowsers 
that  made  us  look  another  way. 

"  Excuse  me,"  said  he,  "  I  understand 
you  have  been  to  Montgomery,  and  I 
wanted  to  make  some  inquiries  about 
matters  and  things  down  South." 

"  Certainly,"  said  I.     "  Proceed." 

Said  he,  "  Do  you  think  there  will  be  a 
conflict  ?  Do  you  believe  the  South  are 
really  mad  enough  to  carry  this  thing  to 
a  trial  of  arms  ?  " 

"  I  do,  "  said  I.  "  The  South  is  all  in 
one  fever  of  delusion.  Their  political 
leaders  have  persuaded  them  that  the 
whole  North — twenty  millions  of  people 
— are  determined  on  the  extinction  of 
slavery.  Those  leaders  told  the  truth  of 
about  half  a  dozen  leading  Abolitionists, 
but  their  hearers  credited  it  for  twenty 
millions.  No  longer  can  reason  approach 
them.     A  conflict  is  certain." 

"  I'm  not.  so  sure  of  that,"  retorted  the 
Professor.  "  I  have  here  a  project  which 
I  think  would  end  the  matter  without  one 
drop  of  blood  being  shed."  Saying  this, 
he  displayed  to  our  vision  a  circular,  read- 
ing, "  Professor  Jackson,  the  celebrated 
lecturer  and  psychologist,  being  on  a 
travelling  tour  throughout  the  South,  will 

deliver  a  course  of  lectures  at " — 

(here  was  a  blank  to  be  filled  in) — "  where- 
at he  hopes  to  convince  the  people  that 
their  entire  ignorance  of  psychological 
laws  is  the  chief  and  only  cause  of  all  the 
trouble  between  North  and  South.  He 
will  also  show  them  the  beauties  of  the 
Harmonial  Philosophy,  and  appeal  to  that 
higher  quality  of  the  human  soul,  the  con- 
geniality of  the  sexes,  and  point  out  the 
only  true  road  to  happiness.  The  Pro- 
fessor has  also  a  project  for  establishing  a 
great  national  library,  in  Washington,  and 
a  general  publishing  house,  where  men  of 
limited  means  may  obtain  aid  from  the 
Government  to  have  their  knowledge  set 
before  the  world,  thereby  eradicating  the 
ignorance  and  low  passions  of  wdiich  we, 
as  well  as  the  people  of  all  other  coun- 
tries, are  afflicted.  These  famous  lectures 
are  divided  into  a  series  of  four.  Ticket 
to  one  lecture,  ten  cents,  or  four  tickets 
for  a  quarter." 


"  Cheap  enough,"  said  the  Judge. 

"  Dirt  cheap  ,"  said  I. 

"The  question  is,"  rejoined  the  Pro- 
fessor, "  will  it  pay  ?  Is  the  South  pre- 
pared for  exalted  lectures  of  this  sort? 
You  have  been  down  South;  now,  what 
is  your  opinion  ?  " 

"  Oh,  excellent !  "  said  I,  nicking  the 
Judge's  foot. 

"  Just  the  thing  !  "  said  the  Judge,  and 
he  nicked  my  foot  a  little ;  "  a  very  for- 
tune to  a  man  of  courage." 

"  Oh,  I  have  the  courage  !  "  said  Jack- 
son, "  and  I  believe  I  have  some  ability ; 
but,  do  you  know,  I  am  rather  short  to- 
day. I  sold  my  newspaper  stand,  but  it 
took  every  cent  of  it  to  get  these  circulars 
printed.  If  it  would  not  be  asking  too 
much,  I  would  like  to  get.  a  loan  of  two 
dollars  of  each  of  you.  I  would  go  at 
once  to  Montgomery,  and  begin  my  course. 
As  soon  as  I  shall  have  paid  all  necessary 
expenses,  I  will  remit  it  to  you." 

"  The  best  thing  in  the  world !  "  we 
both  replied,  and  thereupon  opened  our 
purses  and  gave  the  poor  fellow  two  dol- 
lars each.  Just  then  that  woman,  who 
was  always  on  the  street,  came  up — I 
mean  the  veritable  Mrs.  Lucy  Tabiatha 
Stimpkins — and  she  saw  us  give  the 
money. 

"  Guess  you  are  satisfied  now  !  "  she 
sneeringly  said  to  the  Professor.  "  You 
thought  you  could  do  better  for  yourself 
than  I  could  do  for  you ;  but  it  is  nowhere 
laid  down  in  the  Harmonial  Philosophy, 
that  a  husband  shall  have  aught  but  what 
is  the  wife's.  I  don't  begrudge  you  those 
four  dollars." 

"  Mrs.  Stimpkins,"  said  he,  "  I  have 
done  you  no  harm.  Why  is  it  I  can't 
walk  the  streets  of  Washington  but  I 
meet  you,  and  that  you  must  tantalize  me 
at  every  turn  ?  You  caused  me  to  lose 
one  hundred  and  sixteen  dollars,  and  that 
ought  to  satisfy  you." 

"  I  caused  you !  Must  you  ever  harp 
on  that  hundred  and  sixteen  dollars  ? 
Now,  if  ever  you  mention  that  again,  I 
will  have  you  searched,  and  I  will  take 
every  cent  out  of  your  pockets." 

He  looked  a  little  scared,  and  he  sheep- 
ishly said,  "  Eh  ?  " 

"  What  circular  is  that  ?  "  said  she,  and 
she  took  it  and  read  it.  "  I  could  make 
money  out  of  that,  but  it  is  not  in  your 
breeches  to  do  it.' 

"  Eh  ?  "  said  he. 

The  Judge  and  I  turned  to  go  away, 
but  pretended  to  be  inattentive,  lingering 
a  little. 

"  Professor  Jackson,"  said  she,  turning 
square   before    him,   "  give   me  half    the 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


147 


profits,  and  I'll  join  you  in  that.  And 
more,  too — I'll  repay  you  every  cent  of 
that  hundred  and  sixteen  dollars." 

"  Eh  ?  "  said  he  ;  "  you  nearly  starved 
me  once." 

"  There,  now  throw  that  up,"  said  she. 
"  But  I  don't  care ;  you  may  eat  as  many 
meals  a  day  as  you  like,  and  I'll  do  the 
same." 

We  heard  no  more,  for  we  had  gone  too 
far ;  though,  when  we  got  a  hundred  paces 
off,  we  turned  to  look  back,  and  we  saw 
them  starting  off  together,  as  a  living  il- 
lustration of  an  independent  woman,  a 
dependent  man,  the  Harmonial  Philoso- 
phy, and  the  congeniality  of  a  foolish 
theory. 

That  night  the  Judge  and  I  sat  alone, 
with  our  sparkling  Catawba  before  us. 
He  told  me  then  all  about  his  engagement 
with  Vickey — to  be  married  on  the  follow- 
ing evening ;  but  owing,  he  said,  to  the 
great  disparity  of  their  ages,  they  had 
kept  it  almost  a  total  secret.  But,  as  you 
are  aware,  I  heard  little  of  what  he  was 
saying  to  me,  for  on  that  same  evening  I 
was  myself  to  be  married,  and,  at  present, 
my  intended  was  very  ill.  In  fact,  I  hardly 
know  if  it  be  possible  to  pass  a  more  tor- 
menting time ;  that  ever-incessant  thought, 
marriage,  rising  in  a  thousand  aspects, 
crowding  off  every  other  thought  as  chaff 
before  a  hurricane.  The  Judge,  however, 
talked  well  and  talked  incessantly,  till 
about  midnight,  when  some  one  tapped 
at  our  door.  I  opened  it,  and  there  stood 
Kate,  crying.  I  urged  her  to  tell  the 
cause,  and, after  she  quieted  a  little,  she  said, 

"  I  wish  you  would  come  to  my  sister. 
She  is  indeed  very  ill." 

I  looked  at  my  watch,  saying, 

"Fear  not  now,  poor  child;  the  fatal 
hour  is  past." 

We  then  got  up  and  followed  her  to  the 
room.  Lizzie  was  propped  up  a  little,  and 
the  old  doctor  and  the  clerk,  and  a  Mrs. 
Owens,  were  standing  near.  She  then 
tossed  up  01^  hand,  signifying  for  me  to 
approach.  I  did  so,  and  she  spoke  and 
said  : 

"  I  have  much  to  thank  you  for.  I  shall 
not  live  to  enumerate  them.  I  shall  die 
before  the  morning  sun  is  here.  Some 
things  I  must  tell  you."  We  then  gave 
her  a  little  water,  and  she  asked  to  sit  up 
in  bed. 

Said  I,  "  You  must  not  talk  of  dying. 
You  are  only  discouraged." 

"  The  life-blood  is  blocking  up  in  my 
veins  and  arteries.  In  some  parts  I  am 
already  numb.  Treasure  what  I  say,  but 
do  not  interrupt  me.  Madame  Ponchard 
killed    my  master.     This   jewel    I    stole 


from  her.  She  is  young  Wadsworth's 
step-mother !  This  jewel  was  given  me 
by  my  master;  he  said  it  was  once  my 
father's.  Take  them,  and  keep  them  as 
long  as  you  live." 

I  took  them,  and  read,  on  the  one  she 
said  she  stole  from  Madame  Ponchard, 
"S.  N.  Wadsworth,  P.  Miss.  67;"  but 
some  of  it  had  undoubtedly  been  erased. 
I  knew  also  that  the  other  was  a  part  of 
the  same  jewel  found  in  my  hallway. 
Said  I  to  the  Judge,  "  This  must  have 
been  young  Wadsworth's  father.  And 
this  Madame  Ponchard  is  indeed  the  Ital- 
ian stepmother." 

The  Judge  said,  "  She  was  suspected  of 
poisoning  the  National  Hotel ;  but  in  this 
lenient  country  she  got  off  scot  free,  be- 
cause she  was  a  woman." 

Again  Lizzie  went  on,  saying  to  me  : 

"  Do  you  remember  the  place  you  chased 
me  to,  in  the  Smithsonian  grounds  ?  " 

"  I  do,"  said  I. 

"  The  exact  spot  ? " 

"  Ay,  the  very  spot." 

"  Well,  go  there  to-morrow ;  I  will  be 
dead  then.  Even  where  I  stood,  beneath 
a  flat  stone  the  size  of  your  hand,  you 
will  find  something  which  will  astound 
you  beyond  measure.  But  oh,  sir,  as  I 
shall  be  dead  when  you  have  found  it, 
speak,  nay,  think  gently,  and  blame  not 
this  bursting  heart."  She  then  let  go  my 
hand,  but  looked  quietly  at  me  a  moment, 
adding,  "  Heaven  bless  so  good  a  man  !  " 
Tears  started  to  her  eyes,  and  she  asked, 
"  May  I  kiss  your  hand,  before  I  die  ? " 
Next,  she  called,  "  Kate,  my  sister,  come 
here  !  "  But  Kate  was  crying  bitterly, 
and  the  doctor  told  her  to  come.  Now, 
when  she  had  come  to  her  side,  Lizzie 
said,  "  Take  comfort,  Kate ;  these  men 
will  endeavor  to  have  you  never  a  slave 
again.  Oh,  that  I  could  know,  before  I 
die,  that  you  shall  be  free !  I  pray  for 
war,  for,  in  the  conflict,  justice  will  arise. 
If  the  national  Government  is  too  weak, 
Great  Britain  and  France  will  join  in 
crushing  out  these  cruel  slave-owners. 
Oh,  glorious  England  !  The  friend  of 
the  bond,  I  know  that  thy  dogs  of  war 
will  be  let  loose  on  our  vi'e  oppressors  !  " 

After  resting  a  moment,  in  much  pain,  she 
again  went  on :  "  Remember,  Kate,  modesty 
and  virtue  are  woman's  holiest  gifts.  Re- 
member it.  Of  Miss  Underbill,  who  has 
taken  so  much  on  herself  for  you,  I  know 
nothing.  I  have  never  seen  her.  They 
tell  me  she  is  too  ill  to  come  to  my  room. 
This  is  the  hardest  blow  of  all.  O  Heaven, 
can  I  never  see  so  sweet  and  dear  a  face  !  " 
Here  she  sobbed  out  violently,  whereupon 
some  one  suggested  that  Miss  Underhill 


H8 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


was  not  so  ill  but  she  might  be  brought 
in.  "  No,  no,"  said  Lizzie,  "  I  see  her 
now;  my  soul  comes  and  goes  at  the 
beckoning,  and  I  see  in  the  distance  as 
if  near  by.  Come,  now,  I  am  nearly  done. 
How  numb  my  temrjles " 

This  was  the  last  she  ever  spoke ;  for, 
even  while  sitting  there  and  speaking,  she 
smiled,  and  died. 

On  the  following  morning  I  repaired, 
with  a  sad  heart,  to  the  place  in  the 
Smithsonian  grounds  she  had  designated. 

Beneath  a  stone  no  larger  than  my  two 
hands  I  found  this  most  touching  note, 
safely  sealed  in  a  bottle  : 

"  To  whom  God  showeth  this  : — I 
am  a  fugitive  slave,  and  must  soon  die. 
Here,  on  this  spot,  even  where  lies  this 
small  stone,  I  met  a  true  friend.  He  did 
all  for  me  that  man  could.  He  planned 
the  destruction  of  a  band  of  conspirators 
by  intent  to  blow  up  the  house  where  they 
assembled.  I  was  employed  by  him  to 
bear  a  part ;  but,  O  my  God,  I  proved 
him  false !  I  could  not  do  the  just  but 
horrid  deed,  and  so  I  cut  the  fuse.  The 
conspirators  all  escaped,  and  I  behold  that 
they  are  about  to  destroy  the  nation.     I 


have  prayed  for  forgiveness,  but  I  am 
dying  with  despair.  And  my  true  friend, 
to  whom  I  was  false,  is  so  noble  I  cannot 
even  mention  my  own  perfidy.  Heaven 
knows  I  wish  I  were  dead. 

"  Lizzie." 

Poor  girl,  her  woman's  heart  overleaped 
justice.  And  she  died  in  remorse,  with- 
out my  knowing  her  awful  agony.  Pass 
on,  poor  soul ;  sad  tears  shall  be  our  les- 
sons to  teach  us  the  good  heart  of  a  true 
woman. 

I  saved  the  letter,  but  was  never  able 
to  unravel  the  mystery  of  her  having 
buried  it  in  the  place  referred  to,  unless 
it  was  indeed  because  she  visited  the 
place  in  remembrance  of  having  there 
found  a  friend.  Scarcely  had  I  got  back 
to  the  Jackson  House,  when  I  met  Russel, 
the  owner  of  both  fugitives.  He  was 
weeping  because  of  Lizzie's  death ;  he 
had  been  up  to  view  her  corpse,  and  he 
seemed  much  broken  down.  Judge  Fran- 
cis offered  to  buy  Kate,  but  Russel  said 
he  no  longer  cared  for  Kate,  now  that 
Lizzie  was  dead.  Thereupon  he  gave  us, 
for  her,  a  bill  of  freedom,  and  he  departed 
for  the  South. 


CHAPTER    XYIII. 

BEING  OF  THINGS  WHICH  DID  NOT  OCCUR  TILL  LONG  AFTERWARDS,  AND  WHEREIN,  OWING  TO  THE 
NATURE  OF  THE  STUFF,  IF  INDEED  IT  CAN  BE  CALLED  STUFF,  THE  ORIGINATOR  OF  THESE  NEVER  - 
BEFORE-HEARD-OF  NOTES  WAS  TEMPTED,  FOR  A  HEADING  TO  THIS  PART  OF  THIS  8REAT  HISTORY,  TO 
SUBSTITUTE  THESE  MOST  REMARKABLE  WORDS,  TO  WIT,  THERE  IS  SOMETHING  IN  THIS,  AND  IT  HAS 
SADNESS  AND  HUMOR    MORE  THAN  I  EVER  SAW  IN  SO  SMALL  COMPASS. 


After  the  translator  read  me  the  above 
heading,  I  ordered  him  to  wait  a  moment, 
till  I  ascertained,  if  I  could  as  a  learned 
man,  who  Jenkins  meant,  but  the  transla- 
tor replied,  "  Cervantes  and  Shakespeare." 

"  Well,  then,"  said  I,  "  it  is  at  fault." 

"  Why  so  ?  "  said  he. 

"  Because,  if  Sir  Walter  be  not  in,  Scotch 
critics  will  condemn  it." 

He  laughed  a  little  and  was  about  to 
proceed,  when  who  should  come  in  but 
Jenkins  himself.     Said  he, 

"  I  am  too  excited  about  this  great 
work,  to  enjoy  myself  at  any  other  thing 
till  this  volume  is  done." 

We  then  told  him  to  come  in,  and  sit 
down,  and  he  did  so,  whereupon  I  ordered 
my   men-servants  to    bring  up  from  the 


wine  vaults  another  basket  of  sparkling 
Catawba,  the  which,  when  it  had  come, 
we  drank  freely  of;  for  it^is  of  that 
peculiar  quality  which  sobers  a  man  when 
he  hath  too  much  natural  fire  in  him,  and 
it  makes  everything  look  drunk  but  the 
man  who  drinks  it.  When  we  had  thus 
quenched  our  thirst,  Jenkins,  having  ex- 
amined how  far  we  were,  began  the 
mystery  of  his  notes  to  unfold. 

Whether  Lincoln  was  to  be  inaugurated 
or  to  die,  those  were  the  questions  in 
Washington.  Knots  of  conspirators  clus- 
tered near  every  corner  ;  every  boot  con- 
cealed a  bowie  knife,  every  vest  a  pistol. 
Cautiously  and  so  silently  were  the  tongues 
at  work,  and  such  oaths  as  those  seceders 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


149 


swore  against  this  great  republic,  against 
the  law  of  freedom,  and  so  gently  were 
they  tapped  on  the  shoulder  by  foreign 
emissaries,  that  breathless  stood  the  whole 
of  one  of  the  most  powerful  nations  on  the 
globe.  It  stood  in  fear  and  trembling, 
seeming  to  have  no  head ;  but  the  con- 
sciousness of  right  inspired  the  people  to 
believe  a  way  for  safety  and  glory  would 
be  pointed  out  by  the  finger  of  Almighty 
God.  Only  an  answer  to  the  prayer  of  so 
many  millions  could  shield  the  coming 
President  from  common  slaughter.  As 
terrible  as  for  Daniel  to  enter  the  lions' 
den,  was  it  for  Lincoln  to  mount  the  steps 
of  the  Capitol ;  and  more,  for  the  lions 
were  God's  subjects,  but  the  seceders  had 
repudiated  Him,  and  sung  His  name  in 
blasphemy.  They  had  defied  Him.  They 
had  covenanted  with  one  another  that,  ere 
the  4th  of  March,  Davis  should  be  installed 
in  Washington.  They  had  armies  every- 
where, and  were  armed  ;  but  the  national 
Government  had  been  sold  by  James 
Buchanan,  and  now  stood  there  penniless 
and  unprotected.  Yet,  no,  not  unprotect- 
ed. Scott  was  there,  and  Holt — instru- 
ments and  nuclei,  whereto  the  Almighty 
would  build  up  the  most  powerful  armies 
ever  assembled.  But  they  took  not  His 
name  in  vain,  nor  party  nor  schism  sought 
— only  the  rights  of  man  by  God's  will. 
And  there  they  stood,  invincible  Scott  and 
honest  Holt.  They  saw  that  morning 
sun,  that  4th  of  March,  and  felt  a  higher 
approval  than  by  the  tap  of  a  foreign 
emissary,  or  by  the  puff  of  an  adventur§us 
correspondent.  But  their  position,  and 
ours,  and  all  men's  who  loved  the  great 
republic  then,  was  mocked  at  by  nearly 
all  European  governments.  What !  ten 
millions  of  conspirators,  and  Scott  and 
Holt  to  dare  oppose  them  !  Only  a  thou- 
sand men  to  guard  Washington,  against 
the  threatened  approach  of  thirty  thousand 
rebels !  Surely  Heaven  is  in  this,  or 
Southern  chivalry  is  a  coward — why  didn't 
they  come,  and  not  blow  so  ?  There  was 
the  Capital,  defenceless — why  not  take  it  ? 
Who  held  them  back  ?  Verily,  not  Scott 
and  Holt  with  a  thousand  men.  Why, 
when  Csesar  fell,  he  had  a  guard,  an  army, 
a  million  strong.  Were  those  conspirators 
bolder  than  these  ?  Lincoln  goes  un- 
guarded ;  yet  not  so,  his  shield  is  from 
Heaven.  Conscience  pricks  those  con- 
spirators, and  they  have  not  heart  to 
butcher  a  lamb.  And  why  all  their  bluster 
and  fury  ?  Washington  is  like  a  city  on 
fire,  but  it  burns  out.  The  peojne  rush  to 
and  fro ;  they  cluster  here  and  there ; 
whisper,  pass  on,  and  point  to  the  Capitol. 
Men  do  clench  their  jaws,  and  do  feel  for 


their  concealed  weapons,  all  expectant,  to 
hear  the  bloody  deed  is  done.  Scott  and 
Holt  calmly  wait  the  rising  sun,  that 
never-to-be-forgotten  brilliant  sun,  their 
troops  at  times  galloping  up  and  down 
the  streets,  and  the  bugle  in  far-off  places 
denoting  solemn  tidings  for  the  coming 
hour.  Both  Scott  and  Holt  were  calm. 
So  unlike  Buchanan.  He  had  that  day 
thrice  his  wrong  clothes  put  on.  His 
trowsers  the  wrong  side  before,  and  his 
vest  inside  out.  To  the  window  he  often 
ran,  shouting  to  himself,  "  O  God,  if  only 
this  day  hold  out !  But  if  it  miscarry,  and 
Lincoln  is  killed,  good  Heavens  what 
shall  I  do  ?  "  Again  he  would  return,  and 
sit  down,  burying  his  face  in  his  hands, 
saying,  "  God  knows,  I  have  stuck  to  my 
party,  if  they  do  tear  me  in  pieces.  I've 
stuck  to  the  Constitution,  too.  Oh,  those 
Commissioners."  Then  he  would  sob 
awhile,  and  then  again  look  out  of  the 
window,  really  wearing  himself  out  with 
bodily  fear  and  a  stinging  conscience. 
He  had  ordered,  for  several  days  past,  that 
no  one  should  be  admitted  into  his  pres- 
ence, except  such  as  came  by  invitation. 
From  affairs  of  state  he  had  entirely  with- 
drawn, existing  merely  as  rotten  debris 
of  the  government  he  had  destroyed,  and 
his  own  rottenness  was  a  stench  to  his 
nostrils,  his  conscience  a  coal  of  fire  to  a 
perjured  soul.  Thus  moaned  and  groaned, 
thus  pined,  feared,  and  trembled  the 
great  politician  that  was,  this  shadow  that 
is.  But,  shadow  though  he  be,  he  must, 
for  form's  sake,  hand  over  the  sceptre  to 
the  great  rail-splitter.  Thus  it  was  I  came 
to  him  ;  thus  I  paid  him  my  last  visit — to 
lead  him  to  the  Capitol  to  get  rid  of  him. 
And  thus,  too,  I  found  him,  weeping  and 
wailing,  "  Oh,  Jenkins,  is  it  you,  dear  ? 
They  told  me  never  more  you'd  cross  my 
threshold,  dear.  But,  safe  at  last,  you  are 
come,  and  the  morning's  come,  and  Lin- 
coln too  is  here.  Heaven  knows,  who 
says  I  suffer,  flatters  me  with  little  knowl- 
edge of  my  pain.  I'm  wild  !  I'm  mad  ! 
Tear  me  off  here  an  arm  !  These  shrivelled 
legs  crush  up  !  Such  pain  would  be  com- 
fort. I'll  knock  this  breast  in  pieces ! 
Oh,  I  know  what  it  is  to  suffer  !  This 
day  a  man  told  another,  I  was  the  death 
of  the  Democratic  party.  I  pray  Heaven 
it  is  not  so  ;  but  if  it  is  so,  may  God  never 
give  me  another  happy  day."  I  observed 
his  vest  was  on  wrong  side  out,  and  urged 
him  to  change  it,  for  it  was  near  time  to 
start.  He  then  changed  it,  but  be  put  on 
his  gown,  and  I  urged  him  again  that  he 
should  wear  his  coat.  Said  I,  "  You 
know,  Caesar  was  killed  in  a  gown.  I 
pray    you,   wear    your    coat."     He   then 


150 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


pulled  it  off  and  put  on  his  coat.  Said  I, 
"  Your  valet  has  not  looked  after  your 
toilet  this  morning."  "  Why  so  ?  "  said 
he.  "  Why,"  said  I,  "  your  shoes  are  not 
polished,  nor  are  they  laced."  "  I  suspect 
my  valet,"  said  he,  "of  having  left  the 
Democratic  party."  He  then  tried  to 
stoop  down  to  fasten  his  shoes  himself, 
but  he  could  not  bend  so  far.  Said  I, 
"  These  things  -would  try  any  constitution." 
Said  he,  "  What !  is  that  in  the  Constitu- 
tion too  ? " 

I  saw  that  he  was  not  of  sound  mind, 
and  so  I  then  tied  his  shoes  with  my  own 
hands,  for  which  he  looked  very  grateful. 
I  told  him  I  considered  it  an  honor  to  do 
such  service  to  so  true  a  Democrat.  This 
touched  him  a  little,  and  he  burst  into 
tears,  saying  he  had  not  had  any  one  speak 
so  kindly  to  him  for  many  long  months. 
I  knew  that  in  a  few  short  hours  the  coun- 
try would  be  rid  of  him  officially,  and  I 
cared  not  to  harass  his  troubled  mind 
with  further  censure ;  but  I  did  not,  as 
many  of  the  newspapers  had  it,  caress  him 
for  any  purpose  whatever.  I  spoke  only 
as  I  consider  any  one  ought  to  speak  to 
another  in  distress,  and  it  was  merely  my 
speaking  to  him  in  this  manner  that  made 
him  whimper  and  cling  so  close  to  me. 
Neither  was  it  at  the  Mansion,  but  in  the 
carriage,  before  we  reached  Willard's, 
that  he  said  to  me,  "  Now  Jenkins,  stand 
by  me.  For  God's  sake,  stand  by  me 
at  the  Capitol !  you  are  so  large  and 
powerful,  and  I  am  such  a  feeble,  nerv- 
ous person.  If  there  be  a  row  at  the 
Capitol,  for  God's  sake  pick  me  up,  and 
run  away  with,  me  !  "  I  told  him  I  would, 
and  he  replied  that  I  was  the  only  one,  he 
believed,  in  America,  who  would  turn  a 
hand  to  save  his  life.  He  said,  also,  that 
he  hoped  the  country  would  be  more 
grateful  to  Lincoln  than  it  was  to  him ; 
but  he  still  thought  the  time  would  come 
when  his  administration  would  be  revered. 
We  were  near  Willard's  ere  he  ceased 
talking,  and  then  he  turned  quite  round 
in  the  carriage,  and  looked  back  toward 
the  Mansion,  crying,  u  Can  these  things 
be,  and  all  the  horrors  of  a  four  years' 
strife  at  end  ?  Fare  thee  well,  thou  hole 
of  hell  !•  Farewell,  farewell — a  long  fare- 
well !  " 

In  a  few  minutes  we  were  in  Willard's, 
in  the  presence  of  that  man  of  destiny, 
Lincoln,  who  received  us  with  a  hearty 
laugh ;  but  as  I  had  many  things  to  ar- 
range I  left  them  together,  in  company  of 
a  few  friends,  and  hurried  off  to  find  the 
Judge  and  members  of  our  court,  who 
were  to  have  entire  charge  of  the  etiquette 
of  the  inauguration.     On  arriving  at   the 


Jackson  House,  I  found  no  one  I  was 
acquainted  with,  and,  so,  to  reflect  a  mo- 
ment, I  sat  down  on  the  outer  porch.  In 
an  instant  my  attention  was  directed  to  per- 
sons ensconced  behind  the  lattice  shades. 
No  mistaking  it, — it  was  protestations  of 
love  on  the  part  of  some  man,  and  the 
tender  doubts  of  some  young  girl.  As 
often  as  he  praised  her  beauty  and  love- 
liness, she  would  sigh,  and  reject  it  as 
proof  that  his  attachment  was  from  an  im- 
mature season.  Of  course  I  was  too  much 
of  a  gentleman  to  look  in,  and  I  must  not 
listen  to  other  folks  making  love ;  but  my 
curiosity  so  far  mastered  me,  that  I  raised 
up  till  my  ear  stood  opposite  the  opening 
in  the  window,  and  then  I  discovered  it 
to  be  the  clerk  and  Vickey.  "  Then 
why,"  she  gently  remonstrated,  "  did  you 
so  deceive  me,  in  saying  you  were  heir  to 
such  great  possessions  ?  " 

"  Because  I  loved  you,"  said  he.  "  I 
saw  that  you  had  a  good  heart,  and  I  de- 
termined to  win  you.  If  I  took  a  bad 
course,  it  was  my  head.,  and  not  my  heart 
at  fault." 

M  But  that  was  deception,"  said  she. 

"  Certainly  ;  we  all  deceive  one  another 
in  these  times.  The  young  man  pretends 
to  a  fonune  ;  the  young  lady  pretends  to 
education  and  accomplishments,  the  young 
lady  with  half  a  dozen  years  at  a  female 
college  kept  by  an  overgrown  egotist, 
gets  a  smattering  of  French,  German, 
music,  and  gets  also  a  diploma  for  having 
a  finished  education,  albeit  she  has  not 
re*d  Henriade  nor  Tasso  but  in  the  trans- 
lations. Penelope,  Homer  and  Quintilian 
are  fools  to  her ;  but  her  parents  would 
palm  her  off  on  a  gentleman  as  an  accom- 
plished lady.     Is  this  not  deception  ?  " 

Now,  when  he  began  to  talk  in  this 
style,  she  cried  bitterly,  for  she  felt  that 
she  merited  the  rebuke.  But  he  con- 
tinued :  "  If  this  deception  is  just,  why 
shall  not  a  man  make  believe  he  has  a  for- 
tune ?  Anything  for  getting  the  best  of 
the  bargain.  The  lady  wants  a  husband 
more  elevated  than  herself,  and  he  wants 
a  wife  wealthier  and  more  accomplished. 
Anything  to  win  on.  A  few  dashing  tunes 
on  the  piano,  or  a  loud  set  speech  at  a 
lady's  feet.  Miss  Edge,  I  am  done  with 
this  sort  of  stuff.  I  am  only  a  clerk  at  a 
thousand  dollars  a  year.  You  have,  or 
will  have,  a  large  fortune.  If  I  were  to 
marry  a  really  accomplished  lady,  I  could 
not  support  her ;  if  you  were  to  marry  a 
proper  gentleman,  you  would  be  in  con- 
stant pain  by  the  society  he  would  take 
you  in.  Think  you,  would  you  enjoy  your 
husband  having  with  another  woman  a 
little  chit-chat  in  French  on  Fenelon  and 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


151 


Lamartine  ?  Bethink  you,  they  make 
quotations  from  Virgil,  and  ask  your 
opinion !  Would  you  hold  up  your 
boarding-school  diploma  ?  Now,  enough 
of  this  ;  I  would  not  see  you  weep.  I  am 
myself  no  scholar ;  but  my  place  here  has 
shown  me  those  who  were  ;  and  I  admon- 
ish you,  as  I  am  a  true  friend  to  a  good- 
hearted  and  innocent  girl,  never  think  of 
using  your  accomplishments,  or  your 
father's  money,  to  catch  a  husband  your 
much  superior.  I  have  tried  to  make  you 
comfortable  at  the  Jackson  House,  and  I 
have  seen,  too,  how  frequently  you  have 
been  mortified." 

For  some  time  I  heard  no  more,  and 
I  knew  not  but  they  had  both  left ;  and 
so,  thinking  I  was  losing  much  of  the  time 
in  which  I  ought  to  be  getting  the  court 
together,  I  raised  up,  and  looked  into  the 
parlor.  There  she  sat,  and  there  he  sat, 
and  both  looking  another  way.  Every 
little  while  she  passed  her  handkerchief 
upward.  Whether  to  wait  and  see  the 
result,  or  to  go  about  my  own  business — 
those  were  the  questions.  Pretty  soon, 
however,  I  saw  him  rise  and  stand  before 
her,  but  she  turned  her  face  away.  Said 
he,  "  Have  I  abused  you  ?  " 

No,"  she  answered,  faintly. 

"  Shall  I  thus  abruptly  leave  you,  weep- 
ing ? " 

"  As  you  like." 

"  Bid  me  what  you  will,  and  I  will  do 
it." 

She  gave  no  answer. 

"  To-night,"  he  resumed,  "  you  give  a 
reception,  and  you  are  to  marry  !  " 

"  What !  "  she  whispered,  looking  up. 

"  Not  to  Prescott.  I  know  all  about  it. 
To  the  Judge." 

"  Ha  ! " 

"  Ha  !  I  know,  'tis  not  all  a  joke.  You 
call  it  a  joke,  and  so  do  others,  but  the 
Judge  told  me  all  about  it." 

"  Oh,  sir,  do  not  trifle  thus." 

"  I  am  not  trifling.  I  tell  you,  though, 
I  know  all  about  it ;  and  I  tell  you,  too, 
it  is  the  most  foolish  thing  you  ever  un- 
dertook. He  is  old  enough  to  be  your 
grandfather.  I  always  thought  it  was 
nonsense,  till  this  morning,  when  the 
Judge  gave  me  a  card." 

"A  card!" 

"  Ay,  a.  wedding  card  ;  very  pretty  in- 
deed of  you  to  invent  these  covers  !  " 

Here  she  straightened  herself  upright — 
and  she  is  very  tall  and  thin  ;  but  ere  her 
astonishment  had  gone  further,  he  gave 
her  the  card.  For  a  moment  she  perused 
it,  and  then  she  cried  out,  "  Oh,  why  am  I 
thus  abused  ? "  and  she  cried  piteously. 
He  asked  her  what  was  wrong  about  it. 


and  she,  sobbing,  told  him  there  was  no 
truth  in  it  whatever.  The  clerk  assured 
her  it  was  true.  She  denied  it ;  said  the 
Judge  was  engaged  to  her  aunt.  The 
clerk  told  her  it  was  in  the  papers.  She 
said  it  had  been  in  the  papers  about  Pres- 
cott and  herself.  Thus  they  discussed  the 
matter,  explaining  and  complaining,  till 
he,  seeing  she  was  partly  recovered  from 
her  blues,  bade  her  remember  that  he 
must  go  to  the  office. 

"  Now,"  said  he,  "  you  see  they  have 
been  using  your  name  as  if  you  were  a 
stick.  Your  father  and  mother  half  be- 
lieve you  are  engaged  to  Prescott ;  but 
Prescott  knows  nothing  of  it,  nor  did  he 
ever  make  pretensions  of  love  for  you. 
The  Judge,  on  the  other  hand,  professes  to 
love  you,  and  you  have  returned  it.  You 
accepted  all  his  presents,  and  you  have 
boasted  he  was  to  give  you  a  large  present 
on  your  wedding  day.  So,  you  see,  I 
know  that  it  is  all  true." 

"  It  is  not  true  !  "  she  retorted  sharply. 

"  What !  not  true  that  you  will  marry 
the  Judge  ? " 

"  Most  certainly  not.  I  never  thought 
of  such  a  thing." 

"  Just  so ;  and  yet  in  your  innocence 
you  favored  his  every  advance." 

"  Oh  is  it  possible !  Has  it  come  to 
this  ? " 

"  Well,  you  have  gone  so  far  now  you 
will  need  stick  to  it." 

"  I  won't !  " 

"  But  you  must !  " 

"  I  will  not !  Those  old  silver  specta- 
cles !  " 

At  that  they  both  laughed  right  hearti- 
ly, but  she  hushed  quickly,  for  the 
thought  was  so  unpleasant  to  her  taste. 

"  Why,"  said  the  clerk,  "  I  am  really 
very  sorry  for  you.  The  guests,  to-night, 
will  all  say  you  have  treated  the  Judge 
baclly,  to  have  encouraged  him  and  then 
thus  denied  him.  There  is  only  one  way 
in  which  you  can  avoid  shame  and  an  ill 
name  by  this.  You  will  be  hooted  at  by 
every  one  in  Washington.  You  can  elope 
with  me,  and  save  your  honor.  Nay,  start 
not ;  I  mean  what  I  say.  You  are  a  dear, 
good  girl,  and  about  my  own  equal  in  the 
general  getting  up,  and  I  will  make  you 
an  excellent  and  appreciative  husband." 
She  began  to  pull  and  twist  her  handker- 
chief at  a  furious  rate,  and  then  he  went 
to  her,  and  took  her  hands  in  his,  adding, 
"  Don't  mind  what  I  say,  but  judge  of  my 
former  conduct  if  I  will  not  be  kind  and 
dutiful.  I  may  have  much  mischief  in 
me,  but  I  assure  you  my  heart  is  as  warm 
as  anybody's,  and  pretty  much  the  same 
size.     I  know  you  need  some  one  to  love 


152 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;   OR, 


you,  to  speak  kindly  and  fondly  to  you. 
Pray  you,  let  me  be  that  one." 

I  could  not  hear  what  she  said,  but  she 
leaned  over  on  his  shoulder,  and  cried  and 
clung  fast  to  'him  and  I  was  afraid  they 
might  turn  round  and  see  me  looking  ;  so 
I  dodged  down  a  little,  but  I  heard  him 
kiss  her.  Soon  after  that  he  took  a  hasty 
leave,  having  conducted  her  to  the  door, 
and  bade  her  meet  him  again  at  the  same 
place,  in  two  hours  hence.  From  this  I 
concluded  they  had  provised  an  elopement, 
but  I  had  no  evidence  when  it  was  to  take 
place.  Not  being  disposed  to  waste  more 
time  in  looking  after  them,  I  immediately 
started  in  search  of  the  Judge,  whom  I 
found  in  the  garden,  on  his  lounge,  sound 
asleep.  Beside  him  lay  a  paper  and  pen- 
cil. He  had  evidently  been  writing,  but 
fallen  asleep  at  it.  On  the  paper  was  the 
following : 

"  To  the  tall,  fair  girl  with  the  shining 

black  hair ; 
To  the  dear,  sweet  girl  with    the  hazel 

blue  eye : 
Come,  haste  to  the  garden  ;  come,  haste  to 

the  wedding ; 
A  vacuum  in  store  and  love  running  o'er, 

Is  waiting  for  you." 

Evidently  his  mind  was  turned,  or  he 
had  been  reading  Tennyson,  and  I  ejacu- 
lated, "  Ha,  Poet  Laureate  !  "  Thereupon 
he  awoke,  and  I  admonished  him  it  was 
time  to  go  to  the  Capitol. 

"  Indeed  !  "  said  he,  moving  his  specta- 
cles and  brushing  up  his  thin  hair,  "  I  slept 
so  little,  last  night.  Let  me  see,  what  is 
the  programme  ?  Ah,  I  remember.  I  am 
hey-dey  man.     Come  on." 

So,  accordingly,  we  went,  he  having 
told  me  that  Scott  had  despatched  Pres- 
cott  to  Charleston  to  report  on  the  threat- 
ened rebellion.  I  did  not  like  to  tell  the 
Judge  what  Vickey  said,  nor  did  I  con- 
sider it  my  business.  If  she  would  not 
have  him.  he  would  find  it  out  in  due 
season ;  and  if  she  and  the  clerk  eloped, 
that  was  their  matter.  Now  it  was  so 
arranged  between  us,  for  we  feared  a  col- 
lision of  arms  on  the  part  of  the  rebels 
with  the  law  abiding  people,  that  we 
made  no  exertion  to  have  ladies  attend 
the  inauguration,  choosing  to  let  them 
come  or  stay  away,  as  best  they  might 
decide  for  themselves.  We  had,  however, 
decided  to  have  thirty-four  carriages 
representing  thirty-four  States,  and  each 
one  carrying  a  beautiful  lady,  to  precede 
the  President's  carriage,  and  to  alight  and 
assemble  on  or  near  the  portico  of  the 
Capitol  before  Buchanan  and  Lincoln  made 


their  appearance.  To  obtain  the  aforesaid 
young  ladies,  we  had  already  spent  a 
week,  and,  now  that  the  time  was  up,  four 
States  were  unrepresented — South  Caro- 
lina, Georgia,  Mississippi  and  Arkansas. 
Not  but  those  States  had  plenty  of  pretty 
representatives  in  Washington,  but  there 
were  few  who  would  accept  of  wearing 
the  red,  white  and  blue,  unless,  indeed, 
we  chose  homely,  scrawny-nicked  ones. 
One  lady,  a  beautiful  girl  from  Georgia, 
by  the  name  of  Emerson,  -we  finally  coaxed 
into  the  programme;  but  after  she  was 
dressed,  and  about  to  start,  her  mother, 
then  stopping  at  the  Washington  Hotel, 
caught  her  on  the  steps,  and  tore  the  dress 
in  pieces.  The  girl's  father,  however,  re- 
placed it  with  another,  whereupon  the 
enraged  mother  rushed  into  the  house  for 
a  pistol,  vowing  she  would  rather  see  her 
daughter  die.  The  father,  though,  took 
care  of  the  girl,  and  after  a  while  the  old 
woman  got  over  it.  The  one  we  got  to 
represent  Arkansas  was  a  lean,  crooked- 
shanked  old  maid,  with  a  coffee-colored 
face,  and  such  a  mouth  as  made  you  think 
of  the  Mississippi  river.  For  Mississippi 
State  we  were  obliged  to  take  a  little 
hunch-backed  widow,  deaf  as  a  door  nail, 
and  she  grinned  incessantly.  But  for 
South  Carolina  there  was  the  rub.  We 
had  raced  in  vain  all  over  Washington ; 
we  had  offered  five  presents — everything 
we  could  think  of — but  only  one  lady  from 
that  State  would  agree  to  go.  She  was  a 
lump  of  a  woman,  so  fat  that  her  eyes 
were  almost  hid  from  sight,  and  her  dark, 
grizzly-looking  eyebrows  grew  clear  across 
her  forehead,  which  forehead  was  about 
half  an  inch  high  and  broad  as  your  two 
hands.  A  dirty,  sweaty-looking  mustache 
she  had,  and  a  fatty-like  WTinkle  hanging 
down  from  the  corners  of  her  low  fat 
nose  ;  a  double  chin  a  hand-breadth  deep, 
and  such  a  sickening  scowl  I  never  saw  on 
woman.  Now,  on  the  morning  of  the  in- 
auguration, we  received  from  said  beauty 
the  following  letter,  directed  to  the  Judge 
and  the  members  of  the  court  of  etiquette  : 

"  Miss  Sowsy  begs  to  decline  her  engage- 
ment. She  thinks  it  is  incompatible  with 
her  dignity  to  longer  wear  the  red,  white 
and  blue. 

"Lillie  Sowsy." 

What  was  to  be  done  ?  We  had  not  a 
moment  to  lose,  this  despatch  having  been 
received  just  as  we  came  out  of  the  garden. 
As  every  lady  was  to  carry  a  flag  with  the 
name  of  her  State  on  it,  the  one  from  South 
Carolina  would  be  the  most  observed  of  all. 
After  a  little  consultation,  we  concluded 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


153 


again  to  go  and  see  Miss  Sowsy,  and  urge 
her  to  it.  We  did  so  ;  but  what  was  our 
surprise  at  seeing  her  with  a  Palmetto  flag, 
and  hearing  her  say,  "  Anything  but  this 
is  Abolition." 

On  our  way  back  we  fell  in  with  Mr. 
Palmer,  of  Charleston,  and  told  him  about 
it. 

He  said  his  daughter  would  go,  provid- 
ed we  could  get  a  dress  ready  in  time. 

It  was  then  a  quarter  past  eleven 
o'clock,  and  I  urged  the  Judge  to  go  at 
once  and  see  the  young  lady,  while  I 
would  proceed  to  have  in  readiness  not 
only  our  own  carriage,  but  those  bearing 
the  young  ladies.  Thereupon  we  separat- 
ed, each  to  his  own  duty  ;  but  I  neglected 
to  state  that  we  had  agreed  that,  if  there 
was  any  difficulty  about  getting  the  car- 
riages, we  would  take  the  ladies  in  a 
triumphal  car.  On  my  way  back  to  the 
Jackson  House  I  observed  many  of  the 
people  wore  pins  and  plates  engraved  pal- 
metto. It  was  almost  impossible  to  get 
through  the  crowd,  nearly  all  of  whom 
were  men,  the  gentle  sex  thinking,  no 
doubt,  a  collision  would  occur  at  any  mo- 
ment. When  I  arrived  at  the  Jackson 
House,  I  had  only  fifteen  minutes  left  in 
which  to  get  the  Judge's  horses  and  car- 
riage in  readiness  and  drive  to  Willard's. 
We  were,  accordingly,  in  much  haste,  and 
frequently  being  annoyed  by  having  to 
seek  for  remnants  of  harness  and  bridles. 
The  carriage  had  not  been  used  for  many 
weeks,  nor  had  it  been  oiled,  and  it  now 
squeaked  and  squealed  and  barked  most 
horridly,  and  some  boys  had  been  cutting 
stone-slings  out  of  the  carriage  cover,  so 
it  looked  like  a  riddle.  Finally,  however, 
we  got  in  readiness ;  but  the  Judge  had 
not  come.  Here  was  a  predicament.  He 
was  so  fat  and  so  old,  and  he  walked  so 
slow,  he  might  not  be  here  for  an  hour. 
I  then  came  out  and  looked  down  the 
avenue.  It  was  one  solid  mass  of  human 
beings.  Their  meaning  and  purpose  was 
doubtful,  and  much  to  be  dreaded.  Again 
and  again  I  pulled  out  my  watch,  and  I 
was  in  intense  agony  because  the  Judge 
came  not.  Only  a  few  minutes,  and  I 
must  be  at  Willard's.  I  thought  perhaps 
the  Judge  would  go  in  Palmer's  carriage. 
I  could  wait  no  longer.  Mounting  now 
the  carriage,  with  only  my  driver  and 
footman  for  companions,  I  started  on  at  a 
rapid  rate.  On  nearing  Willard's,  I  de- 
cided to  dispense  with  so  many  carriages 
for  the  ladies  of  state,  but  to  pile  them 
into  the  triumphal  car  in  advance,  and  in 
rear  of  the  two  Presidents.  In  a  little  while 
the  state  ladies  made  their  appearance,  all 
showing  more  or  less  nervousness  on  ac- 


count of  the  importance  of  the  occasion. 
In  vain  I  looked  for  a  representative  for 
South  Carolina.  In  vain  I  looked  for  the 
Judge.  Whispers  and  jeers,  but  low  and 
derisive,  went  up  from  the  vast  assemblage, 
that  South  Carolina  was  not  there.  Over 
and  over  I  surveyed  the  ladies,  but  all  to 
uo  purpose.  Many  of  them  were  the 
fairest  that  man  e'er  laid  eyes  on.  Miss 
Hendricks,  of  Missouri, — Lord,  what  a 
sweet  and  noble  face  !  Her  ringlets  were 
like  pure  gold,  and  her  large,  blue  eyes  ' 
had  in  them  an  angel's  purity  and  love. 
Her  form,  so  noble  and  full  matured,  now 
adorned  and  adorning  the  red,  white  and 
blue.  Miss  Haslett,  of  Michigan,  a  bru- 
nette grace,  with  two  and  thirty  jet  black 
curls  a  yard  in  length,  hiding  half  the 
rotund  chest  now  swelling  like  a  bird 
affrighted,  as  downward  some  she  meekly 
held  her  blushing  face,  at  times  her 
heaven-lit  eves  glancing  o'er  the  crowd 
around.  Miss  North,  of  Massachusetts, 
whose  jolly,  fun-loving  eye  all  things 
turned  to  jokes  and  merriment ;  whose 
smile  a  dimpled  chin  and  cheek  did  envy 
but  to  strive,  as  proudly,  with  a  coquet- 
tish air,  she  now  and  then  tossed  up  the 
red,  white  and  blue.  Miss  Hawthorne,  of 
Pennsylvania,  an  unconscious  beauty,  not 
light,  not  dark,  but  rosy  and  life-like,  in- 
nocent of  all  things  around  and  child-like, 
whose  heart  no  room  had  left  for  indepen- 
dent thought,  and  made  her  thus  the 
most  perfect  counterpart  of  man  ;  made 
her  like  a  fair  flower,  innocent  of  her  own 
beauty  and  sweetness. 

And  so  it  was  of  all  the  others, — all  so 
many  beauties,  only  from  the  seceded 
States  we  had  to  take  them  as  we  could 
get  them.  And  those  were  pretty  fair, 
only  the  lean  one  from  Arkansas,  and  the 
little  widow  of  Mississippi.  The  lady  for 
Georgia  would  do,  but  her  mother  had 
scratched  her  face  some.  For  South  Car- 
olina, though,  there  was  no  one  present. 
May-be  the  Judge  would  go  direct  to  the 
Capitol  with  her.  It  was  the  only  chance, 
the  only  hope.  The  time  had  come,  we 
must  start.  I  now  sent  a  messenger  in  to 
announce  to  Buchanan  and  Lincoln  our 
readiness  to  receive  them  and  conduct 
them  to  the  Capitol.  They  were  soon  at 
the  door,  and,  although  it  was  supposed 
they  had  no  guard  provided,  yet  such  was 
not  the  case.  Scott  had  ^for  the  occasion 
two  hundred  picked  men  in  citizen's  dress, 
well  armed  with  private  arms,  who  were  to 
proceed  before,  behind,  and,  in  fact,  all 
round  the  carriage,  to  the  Capitol  and  back 
again.  They  were  provided  with  white 
ribbons  concealed,  which,  in  case  of  a  row, 
were  to  be  uncovered,  and  the  men  were 


154 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


to  sail  into  everybody  and  everything 
that  displayed  not  the  color.  In  a  few 
minutes  now  the  Presidents  came  down 
and  entered  their  carriage,  Lincoln  getting 
in  first,  and  Buchanan  taking  a  seat  at 
his  left  hand.  Many  of  us  smiled  at  this 
little  innovation,  but  were  startled  by  a 
slight  hurrah  from  some  one  near  the  car- 
riage. I  looked  and  there  beheld  Orsini  ! 
It  was  as  if  a  viper  had  sprung  out  of  the 
earth.  In  an  instant  did  civilians  crowd 
him  back,  and  those  civilians  were  the  pick- 
ed guard.  Again  and  again  did  I  inwardly 
thank  Winfield  Scott;  for  what  man  else 
could  have  invented  so  great  protection 
with  so  few  men  ?  As  yet,  however,  the 
public  knew  it  not.  We  had  all  heard  it 
said,  over  and  over,  that  Lincoln  should 
never  reach  the  Capitol  alive.  But  words 
cannot  tell  the  flight  of  thought,  nor  can 
it  show  the  checkered  fear  and  emotion  at 
such  a  time.  We  saw  Orsini,  and  we  ex- 
pected thousands  of  men  on  the  instant  to 
run  into  bloody  riot.  Upward,  and  where 
a  fair  view  was  had,  stood  Madame  Pon- 
chard,  waving  her  handkerchief.  In  the 
vast  assemblage  did  two  voices  cheer ;  but 
ere  the  sound  had  passed  around,  the  tri- 
umphal car  was  under  way.  No  more 
now  we  feared  till  near  the  Capitol.  But 
here,  too,  had  Scott  provided  for  any 
tumult.  Thus  we  moved  along,  and  thus 
to  the  portico,  passing  by  the  way  full 
sixty  thousand  men.  On  the  grounds, 
above  and  below,  all  round  the  Capitol, 
were  assembled  such  a  concourse  of  people 
as  were  never  before  in  Washington. 
More  than  half  of  them  had  come  to  see 
the  portico  washed  with  Lincoln's  blood. 
More  than  half  of  them  were  armed  with 
bowie  knives  and  pistols,  with  their  hands 
resting  on  the  concealed  pockets.  Yet 
amidst  this  vast  assemblage  had  thousands 
and  thousands  of  fair  women  come,  to  see 
and  to  be  seen,  trembling  for  their  lives 
the  while.  Close  around  the  Presidents, 
and  everywhere  that  danger  most  ap- 
peared, were  Scott's  two  hundred  unknown 
vigilants.  No  one,  save  Scott,  knew  their 
number  or  authority,  but  they  were  each 
a  man  among  ten  thousand,  powerful  and 
resolute,  men  who  felt  that  they  held  the 
great  republic  on  their  shoulders  and  no 
one  apart  his  own  life  valued.  And  yet, 
withal,  another  side  this  adventure  had, 
and  full  of  danger.  Davis  and  Toombs 
had  more  than  the  two  hundred,  and  bet- 
ter armed,  but  untutored  for  the  deed 
designed.  For  this  is  God's  will,  a  crimi- 
nal never  weighs  the  chance  of  failure  but 
with  a  mortal  instrument.  They  thought 
in  half-concerted  riot  to  kill  the  President. 
A  woman,  Madame  Ponchard,  and  her  con- 


sort, Orsini,  two  common  assassins  of 
foreign  birth,  for  hire,  were  to  do  this  great 
deed  of  state;  and  the  planners  and  per- 
petrators, Toombs  and  Davis,  afar  off,  to 
escape  uncensurcd  and  free,  to  ultimately 
fly  to  the  Capitol  as  the  chosen  rulers  of 
the  nation.  So  now,  as  our  unornamental 
pageantry  neared  the  portico,  that  same 
mysterious  woman,  and  that  same  oft-ac- 
cused and  oft-released  villain,  Orsini,  must 
needs  rush  to  the  front,  waving  the  stars 
and  stripes,  both  bent  on  the  treacherous 
deed.  Again  that  unthought-of  two  hun- 
dred press  them  backward,  as  calmly  all 
as  if  it  were  a  time  of  prayer.  Now 
merg  forth  the  four  and  thirty  fair  ladies, 
virgin  emblems  of  the  independent  States 
of  the  great  republic,  bearing  each  her 
flag  triumphant — but  no — South  Carolina 
is  not  there  !  Over  and  over  we  read  the 
flags,  and  over  again  we  bleed  at  the 
thought  that  a  star  is  gone  !  Fifty  thou- 
sand eyes  look  for  that  flag — ay,  a  hun- 
dred thousand  eyes !  A  murmur  begins 
to  arise — such  a  half-suppressed  murmur  as 
was  never  before  since  the  foundation  of 
the  world.  It  was  the  midnight  hour  of 
human  liberty.  Come  at  once,  or  free- 
dom is  dead  !  Come,  and  long  lives  the 
great  republic  !  But  oh,  the  terrible  hour, 
the  second  that  measured  more  than  the 
lapse  of  centuries.  Coming  here  are  noAv 
the  Presidents,  and  a  moving  discontent 
makes  manifest  the  fell  omen.  Tears  of 
disappointment  stream  from  countless 
patriot  eyes,  while  the  opposite,  the  foes 
of  freedom,  now  smile  and  curl  their  lips 
in  goading  triumph.  But  lo  !  What 
sound  is  that,  and  greetings  !  They  move 
— make  way,  and  on  the  portico  fall  back  ! 
— the  flag  is  coming  !  South  Carolina  ! 
South  Carolina !  Now  look  the  eager 
eyes,  to  see  what  lady  this  temerity  has. 
Then,  tall,  and  fair,  and  smiling,  comes 
the  maid  of  seventeen — our  sweet  Vic- 
toria !  Few,  so  very  few  did  know  her, 
and  they  thought  she  was  a  South  Caro- 
linian. She  was  clothed  in  red,  white, 
and  blue,  and  so  prettily  bore  her  little 
flag  that  only  in  her  praise  sang  all  the 
crowd  ;  yet  sang,  but  breathless  held  their 
voices  while  they  surveyed  her  queenly 
beauty,  and  praised  her  from  their  very 
souls  as  an  angel,  a  symbol  come  at  the 
final  hour  to  marshal  peace  and  liberty. 
Now  here  it  was,  and  at  this  trying  mo- 
ment, Douglas  spoke.  He  had  been 
obliged  to  take  the  Judge's  place,  to  act 
as  hey-dey  man ;  and  close  to  my  side 
had  all  the  while  remained  to  be  prompt- 
ed in  the  part  he  must  fulfil.  The  Judge 
had  been  to  Mr.  Palmer's,  but  the  daughter 
would  not  go.     She  snubbed  him  ;  called 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


155 


hiin  an  old  fool ;  told  him  South  Carolina 
was  out  of  the  Union,  and  so  sent  him  otf. 
But  inasmuch  as  he  had  the  appointment 
to    furnish    the   ladies    and   manage    the 
etiquette,  he  had  no  other  way  left  but 
to  call  on  Victoria,  and  persuade  her  to 
relieve  him  in  this€  great  hour  of  distress. 
Accordingly,   having,   as   he  passed  Mrs. 
Hamil's  silk  store,  provided  himself  -with 
a  quantity  of  red,  white,  and  blue  silk,  he 
hastened  to  the  Jackson  House,  where  he 
found  Vickey  crying  severely  about   the 
clerk,  and  the  Cupid  exasperations  between 
them.     She  told  the  Judge  she  was  crying 
because  nobody  would  take  her  to  the  in- 
auguration.   Hereupon  the  Judge  exhibit- 
ed the  silk,  and  expostulated  much  on  her 
appearance,  and  so  struck  a  bargain   at 
once,  whereby  she  was  to  go  as  a  South 
Carolinian.       She  was  in  just  such   des- 
perate state  of  mind  as  makes  a  woman  do 
anything ;  and  so,  between  madness  and 
love  of  adventure,  at  once  assumed  the  part. 
Dashing  on  the  colors  in  more  profusion 
than  any  other  lady  would  be  clothed,  she 
and  the  Judge  and  Mr.  Edge  hastened  on 
foot  to  the  Capitol,  and,  as  before  stated, 
just  arrived  at  what  was  likely  to  have 
been  a  fatal  moment  to  the  Government. 
Thus  coming  on   the  portico,  where   she 
expected  to  be  merely  as  any  other  of  the 
number,  was  a  signal  for  greetings  she  lit- 
tle thought  of.     South  Carolina  was  really 
the  only  State  of  much  interest,  and  her 
representative  was  the  very  queen  of  queens. 
The  eyes  of  the  many  thousands  were  all 
turned  on  her,  and  she  in  turn  looked  on 
them  all  as  innocently  happy  as  if  she 
were  in  a  Philadelphia  boarding-school.   I 
knew  her,  and  so  did  some  of  my  friends, 
and  we  were  all  afraid  she  would  speak, 
and  so  betray  the  whole  thing ;  but  this 
showed  only  how  little  we  knew  of  the 
capacity   of  a  green  country  girl  under 
excitement.      Scarcely  had   she   ventured 
forth,  her  father  and  the  Judge  standing 
near,   and   many   of  the   people   exultant 
over  her  coming,  while  many,  even  enemies 
to  the  country,  were  captivated  with  her 
beauty,  when  Douglas  stepped  forth — to 
hold  Lincoln's  hat,   and   to  make  some 
preliminaries  preparatory   to  the  oath  of 
office. 

"  Again  are  the  representatives,"  said  he, 
"  of  our  several  States  assembled,  as  tokens 
of  love  for  the  principles  which  have  made 
you  (to  Lincoln)  the  people's  choice.  To 
you  (to  the  ladles),  the  fair  representatives 
of  these  United  States,  I  assume  the  re- 
s])onsibility  of  bestowing  a  nation's  thanks, 
and  a  nation's  love.  To  you  (to  Vickey), 
the  gentle  representative  of  South  Carolina, 
may  the  incoming  Administration  be  the 


inspiration  to  peace  and  quietude  to  your 
State  as  yourself  over  us  all  holds  com- 
mand, by  purity  and  nobleness  of  pur- 
pose." 

Here  he  halted  a  moment,  and  she 
thought  he  wanted  her  to  reply,  and  so  she 
said, 

"  Our  hopes  are  manifested  by  myself 
being  here.  I  would  not  speak  in  public  ; 
but  I  love  my  State,  and  more,  I  love  my 
country.  This,  I  do  presume,  for  American 
laches,  will  ever  be  their  highest  joy ;  while 
noble  hearts  their  lords  maintain  toward 
the  great  republic,  to  ever  decorate  their 
persons  with  the  red,  white,  and  blue." 
She  then  smiled,  and  waved  her  little  flag, 
striving  hard  to  hide  her  deep  emotion. 
But  as  firmly  did  the  people  control  theirs, 
for  her  voice,  by  its  sweetness  and  purity, 
had  rendered  her  sentiments  most  sublime, 
and  to  be  treasured  as  one  of  the  most 
comprehensive  and  feminine  speeches  on 
record.  It  was  a  sentiment  to  make  man 
manly,  and  this  is  a  rare  sentiment  in 
woman's  public  sjieeches. 

Baker,  of  Oregon,  then  came  forward, 
and  introduced  Lincoln,  and  thus  ran  Lin- 
coln's inaugural,  to  wit : 

"  This  is  an  occasion  of  painful  joy  and 
solicitude.  We  all  do  know  the  questions 
upon  us.  We  are  all  countrymen  of  one 
country.  But  we  can  never  separate.  A 
man  and  wife  may  separate  and  go  away, 
but  we  must  remain,  even  if  separated.  If 
we  make  ourselves  aliens  to  each  other, 
still  we  gain  nothing.  Friends  can  make 
laws  better  than  aliens  can  treaties.  Sup- 
pose we  go  to  war ;  after  many  of  us  have 
fallen,  the  question  would  still  arise.  I  am 
called  by  the  people,  according  to  the  laws 
of  the  country.  Only  will  I  execute  those 
laws;  and  the  Constitution  shall  be  pre- 
served. The  property  of  the  Government 
must  be  protected.  In  your  hands,  my 
countrymen,  is  the  issue.  The  Government 
will  not  assail  any  State,  or  the  laws  of 
any  State.  H'  you  assail  the  Government, 
that  is  your  matter.  You  take  no  rightful 
oath  to  destroy  our  country,  but  I  take 
one  simply  to  protect  it.  We  are  friends. 
Passion  may  have  strained  the  cords  of 
our  affection,  but  it  must  not  break  our 
ties  of  national  brotherhood.  The  chords 
of  memory,  from  every  battle  held,  from 
every  patriot  grave,  to  every  living  heart 
in  this  land  will  sing  in  chorus  for  this 
Union  when  touched  by  the  angels  of  our 
purer  nature." 

Hereupon  Taney  came  forward,  bearing 
the  Holy  Bible  and  Constitution,  and  di- 
rected Lincoln  to  lay  his  right  hand  on 
them,  and  to  raise  the  left  to  Heaven,  and 
they  repeated  these  words, 


15G 


TflE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;   OR, 


"  I,  Abraham  Lincoln,  do  solemnly  swear 
before  thee,  Almighty  God,  that  I  will 
protect  the  Constitution,  defend  the  na- 
tional property,  and  execute  the  national 
laws  for  the  term  of  four  years  from  this 
date.  Help  me,  God,  and  make  me  right- 
eous to  do  Thy  will." 

Such  was  the  end.  The  vast  concourse 
of  people  were  in  confusion,  every  one 
turning  his  own  way.  every  one  expressing 
opinions  on  the  occasion.  But  the  secret 
guard  still  kept  on  duty,  still  kept  beside 
Lincoln  and  Buchanan.  The  former  firm 
and  much  overcome  by  the  trying  scene, 
the  latter  pale  as  death,  and  trembling, 
ejaculating  to  himself  continually,  "  O 
dear  !  O  mv  God  !  O  Heaven  !  My  God  ! 
My  God  !  *  Oh,  dear  !  Oh,  dear  !  "  At 
times  he  would  look  toward  the  people  as 
if  lost  to  comprehend  what  was  going  on, 
and  then  again  he  would  look  downward, 
in  the  most  mortified  melancholy  that  ever 
man  exhibited.  Twice  or  thrice  Lincoln 
spoke  to  him,  but  got  no  answer,  only 
heard  the  low  wailings  and  sighs  of  the 
almost  dying  politician,  who,  like  a  mis- 
creant, now  fully  beheld  the  crime  of  his 
imbecility.  He  realized,  at  last,  that  of  all 
the  five-and-thirty  millions  of  people,  not 
a  single  one  would  ever  more  mention  his 
name  but  in  shame  and  hatred.  He  real- 
ized that  he  was  not  a  man  ;  that  he  had 
been  discovered  to  be  merely  a  bogus 
piece  of  worthless  flesh  and  bones,  with 
none  of  the  spirit  or  soul  of  a  genuine 
mortal.  Thus,  in  agony  and  shame,  did  we 
lift  his  trembling  form  into  the  carriage,  to 
take  the  last  ride  he  would  ever  take  at 
Government  expense.  Downward,  though, 
he  held  his  head  ;  he  knew  no  more  where 
we  were  taking  him,  nor  of  what  was  pass- 
ing, than  does  the  delirious  maniac,  when 
all  things  seem  as  devils  for  his  torture. 
He  had  had  his  day,  and  this  was  his  last. 
North  and  South  both  said,  "  'Tis  good, 
this  is  his  last."  Farewell,  Buchanan ;  thou 
wert  a  whale  in  the  ocean,  and  we  took 
thee  for  dry  land ;  but  thou  didst  dive 
and  leave  us  at  the  mercy  of  the  waves. 
Good  for  thee  that  we  laugh  at  our  folly 
and   some   the  fall    assume,  or    we  had 


harpooned  thee !    Away,  imbecile    Presi- 
dent ! 

The  writer  of  this  great  work  here  halted 
a  moment,  for  Jenkins  became  too  excited 
to  continue ;  but  when  I  told  him  Buchanan 
was  gone  now,  he  said,  "  No,  not  yet  ! 
One  other  view  of  him  you  shall  yet  have, 
and  then  he  is  done." 

In  a  little  while  Jenkins  reverted  to  the 
history  as  follows,  to  wit : 

On  our  way  back  we  changed  the  pro- 
gramme, all  of  us  accompanying  Lincoln 
to  the  Mansion,  when  we  alighted,  and 
rather  unceremoniously  made  ourselves 
quite  welcome.  Lincoln  shook  hands 
with  the  girls,  and  was  quite  humorous ; 
paving  no  more  attention  to  Scott,  Holt, 
or  Seward,  than  to  any  one  else.  Now, 
although  the  day  was  so  fair,  it  was  chilly, 
and  Lincoln  called  a  colored  chap  and 
ordered  him  to  tell  the  cook  to  fire  up,  or 
we  would  all  come  down  in  the  kitchen. 
The  cook  was  a  Southern  man,  and,  having 
heard  much  said  about  Lincoln's  green- 
ness, and  having  been  used  to  the  words 
"  fire  up,"  which  means,  down  South,  to 
pass  round  the  whiskey,  what  does  he  do, 
but,  filling  a  two-bushel  basket  with 
choice  bottles,  conies  right  before  the  new 
President,  saying,  M  Here  you  are,  here's 
fire  for  the  whole  Mansion.  We've  run 
the  machine  pretty  fast  down  in  the 
kitchen  to-day,  and,  considering  as  when 
a  fellow  gets  anything  new  he  must  '  wet 
it,'  we  saved  this  lot  for  your  Excellency." 
Down  he  threw  the  basket,  and  we  won- 
dered what  Lincoln  would  say ;  but  he 
was  never  at  a  loss  for  a  word,  and  he 
said,  "  Oh,  excuse  me  sir,  it  is  the  outside 
wre  would  warm.  For  four  years,  terrible 
as  it  may  seem,  this  house  shall  indulge  in 
water."  He  did  not  laugh,  nor  was  he 
moved  more  than  had  he  been  looking  at 
the  moon.  But  the  joke  is  told  to  this 
day  in  the  kitchen  of  the  "White  House. 
The  next  chapter  will  be  after  this ;  but 
as  this  is  the  last  chapter  before  the  last 
except  one,  the  last  word  of  this  one  shall 
be  last. 


LOYE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


157 


CHAPTEE    XIX 


NINETEENTH  SITTING,  WHEREIN  IS  GIVEN  THE  EVIDENCE,  WHICH  HAS  BEEN  HERETOFORE  WITHHELD 
FROM  CERTAIN  PERSONS  NOT  NAMED,  IN  CONSEQUENCE  OF  THE  FEARFUL  RUMORS  PERVADING 
WASHINGTON,  AND  THE  SHAPING  OF  THE  END  OF  THE  FIRST  PART  OF  THIS  REMARKABLE  HISTORY. 


Without  waiting  for  an  explanation, 
the  writer  of  these  annals  informed  his  in- 
former that  the  above  heading  was  suffi- 
ciently confused  to  be  mistaken  for  an 
emanation  from  that  great  philosopher 
who  compared  Paris  to  a  wheel  full  of 
fishes. 

"  Why,"  said  Jenkins,  "  that's  not  con- 
fused at  all.  Fishes  swallow  one  another, 
and  they  turn  round  and  get  swallowed  in 
turn  ;  and  so  if  they  turn  round  they  are 
like  a  wheel." 

"  But  why,"  said  I,  "  does  it  apply  more 
to  Paris  than  to  any  other  city  ?  For  the 
people  in  all  civilized  countries  live  on 
one  another." 

"  The  philosopher  did  not  say  so,"  said 
he  ;  but  ere  I  had  time  to  speak  further  on 
this  weighty  matter,  he  took  up  his  notes, 
and  thus  began,  to  wit : — 

[Scene. —  Court  of  Etiquette  and  Moral  Phi- 
losophy. Judge  Francis  Underhill  of 
Loudon  Heights ;  in  the  chair;  various 
members  of  tlie  court  assembled ;  Jenkins 
in  the  witness1  box  ;  papers  in  hand,  read- 
ing despatches.  Judge  has  his  spectacles 
thrown  up  on  his  forehead — his  old  silver 
spectacles.     Time,  late  in  the  afternoon.] 

Jenkins. — First  despatch  from  Charles- 
ton :  "  The  soldiers  in  Fort  Sumter  are 
starving.  The  rebels  will  not  let  in  pro- 
visions. The  soldiers  petition  the  rebels 
not  to  fire,  for  in  three  days  they— the 
rebels — can  take  the  fort  without  resis- 
tance. Soldiers  seventy-five  strong,  men 
all  told.  Rebels  twenty  thousand  strong, 
all  told.  Rebels  won't  wait ;  want  a 
spree,  to  spill  blood.  Ladies  in  Charles- 
ton circulate  a  petition  for  signature,  to  be 
presented  to  Lincoln,  praying  for  no  coer- 
cion, and  warning  him  that  their  chival- 
ric  twenty  thousand  will  assuredly  attack 
the  seventy-five  men  if  he  dare  to  raise  his 
finger  in  menace,  or  to  bring  them  food." 

Second  despatch,  from  Montgomery: 
"  Beauregard  is  considered  by  the  South 
as    the    greatest    of    American    generals. 


Bragg  ranks  next.  They  talk  of  eating 
up  the  whole  nation." 

Third  despatch :  "  Lord  Dundreary, 
the  notorious  correspondent,  has  just  com- 
pleted a  letter  to  the  English  people, 
wherein  he  says  the  Southern  people  all 
wish  they  had  an  English  Prince  or  Prin- 
cess to  rale  over  them.  It  is  unknown 
whether  he  wrote  it  from  malice  or  igno- 
rance." 

Fourth  despatch,  from  the  South,  West, 
and  North  :  "  The  Mississippi  river  is  be- 
ing fortified  by  the  rebels  for  upward  of 
one  thousand  miles  in  length.  Rebel 
armies  are  assembling  on  the  frontiers  of  all 
the  slave  States.  All  goods  being  sent 
South  must  prepay  a  duty.  Custom-houses 
for  that  purpose  are  established  in  Phila- 
delphia, New  York,  Cincinnati,  Chicago, 
and  St.  Louis.  A  secession  paper  is  pub- 
lished in  Philadelphia  called  the  Palmetto 
Flag.  The  so-called  Democratic  papers 
all  over  the  country  embrace  the  cause  of 
secession.  Mayor  Wood,  of  New  York, 
urges  the  city  to  secede." 

Fifth  despatch:  "All  the  frontiers  of 
Virginia,  even  in  sight  of  the  city  of 
Washington,  are  being  crowded  with 
rapidly  concentrating  rebel  armies." 

Sixth  despatch  :  "  The  national  Govern- 
ment as  yet  is  doing  nothing  for  defence. 
Lincoln  organized  his  Cabinet  in  a  day. 
All  is  in  harmony  on  our  side." 

Judge. — "  Whether  this  comes  to  war  or 
not,  it  is  yet  peace;  and  we,  the  Judge 
of  this  court  and  proprietor  of  Loudon 
Heights,  are  resolved  to  have  a  good  time 
while  we  may.  Just  as  I  said  to  Lincoln 
to-day,  while  I  held  his  hat  at  the  Capitol, 
we  have  too  much  pleasure  in  this  country 
to  be  meddling  with  war.  What  more, 
Mr.  Jenkins  ? " 

Jenkins. — "  I  thought  Douglas  held  Lin- 
coln's hat  ?  " 

Judge.— "But  that  blow  of  Wood,  to 
talk  of  New  York  seceding  !  Will  he  be 
remembered  with  adoration  ? " 

The  Judge  wiped  his  spectacles.     I  saw 


158 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  :  OR, 


he  saw  I  had  seen,  and  wished  the  court 
meddle  not  about  the  hat.  Nor  did  I 
presume  to  disturb  the  harmony  of  the 
court,  and  was  favored  by  one  of  the 
most  fortunate  incidents  that  ever  oc- 
curred. The  report  of  two  or  three  pistol- 
shots  on  the  street  started  every  member 
in  the  temple  to  his  feet.  Judge  Francis 
adjourned  at  once,  and  we  all  rushed  to 
the  door,  where,  in  looking  down  the 
Avenue,  we  beheld  some  two  dozen  per- 
sons in  citizen  dress,  surrounding  Madame 
Ponchard  and  Orsini.  They  were  prison- 
ers, and  the  people  bound  them  with  a 
rope.  We  then  came  down  from  the  por- 
tico of  the  Temple,  halting  near  the  pillars 
thereof,  till  the  Judge  charged  us  all  to 
be  in  readiness  for  any  summons  he  might 
from  the  nature  of  events  be  oblged  to 
issue.  We  then  shook  hands,  little  think- 
ing what  would  intervene  before  we  as- 
sembled together  again.  The  Judge  and 
myself  then  walked  together  to  the  before- 
named  crowd  of  citizens,  but  the  other 
members  wrent  another  wray ;  for  several 
pistols  were  fired,  and  many  of  us  feared 
we  might  be  shot.  The  citizens  said  to 
one  another,  "  We  know  these  two  per- 
sons, Madame  Ponchard  and  Orsini,  con- 
spired against  Lincoln's  life  ;  wTe  will  have 
them  lodged  in  prison  until  the  facts 
are  examined  into,  and,  if  they  are  guilty, 
they  must  be  punished  ;  nor  can  any  man 
pardon  them  for  such  an  offence  but  Lin- 
coln himself."  Yet  some  few  others  said, 
"  Nay,  let  them  go.  If  you  harm  a  hair 
of  their  heads,  this  city  shall  on  the  in- 
stant be  laid  in  ruins.1'  The  captors  were, 
however,  much  more  numerous,  and  they 
marched  off  with  the  prisoners,  even 
though  many  knives  and  pistols  were 
used  on  them.  In  a  little  while  they 
reached  the  prison,  and  the  two  prisoners 
were  put  in  and  secured.  By  this  time, 
however,  the  citizens  had  increased  in 
number  to  upward  of  three  or  four  hun- 
dred. A  large  majority  were  undoubtedly 
in  favor  of  retaining  the  prisoners,  but  a 
forcible  rescue  was  threatened  all  round. 
In  this  predicament — for  civil  law  was 
nearly  powerless — a  number  of  men  went 
to  see  Lincoln,  to  lay  the  case  before  him, 
and  to  urge  him  at  once  to  declare  martial 
law  in  the  District  of  Columbia,  and  to 
caution  him  on  the  dangers  that  would 
otherwise  arise.  Now,  when  they  had 
come  to  the  President's  Mansion,  it  was 
closed  against  them,  and  hence  arose  the 
saying  that  Lincoln  was  so  glad  of  his 
election  that  he  got  drunk.  But  this  was 
false  ;  for,  as  stated  in  the  previous  chap- 
ter of  this  invaluable  history,  Lincoln  had 
made  it  a  law  for  the  White  House,  that, 


during  four  years,  any  one  could  indulge 
in  water  as  much  as  he  liked.  What  he 
was  doing,  though,  that  he  would  not 
receive  the  above-named  committee,  this 
deponent  knoweth  not.  He  knew,  though, 
that  the  committee  resolved  to  follow  the 
matter  up,  and  that,  by  careful  research, 
they  discovered  that  he  would  most  prob- 
ably visit  one  of  the  richest  of  American 
citizens.  As  soon  as  this  was  ascertained, 
some  of  the  committee  went  their  way, 
but  others  of  them  waited  in  the  grounds 
of  the  Mansion;  for  not  only  Madame 
Ponchard  and  Orsini  were  to  be  feared, 
but  many  rebels,  made  mad  by  Lincoln's 
success  so  far,  now  declared  openly  that 
they  would  not  raise  a  hand  to  keep  an 
assassin's  knife  out  of  Lincoln's  heart.  In 
this  state  of  affairs  Scott  ordered  a  small 
guard,  disguised  a  little,  to  keep  a  distant 
watch  over  the  new  President,  and  the 
consequence  was,  friends  and  guard  were 
alike  suspicious  of  one  another,  and  of 
known  rebels.  The  arrest  of  Madame 
Ponchard  and  Orsini  was  really  a  danger- 
ous proceeding,  not  so  much  on  account 
of  Orsini,  but  Madame  Ponchard.  The 
American  people  had  been  taught  so  much 
charity  to  woman,  that  any  crime  she 
could  commit  was  forgiven.  Women 
could  defame  the  pulpit  by  preaching 
holiness,  even  while  in  male  attire  their 
wantonness  boasted  pride  to  have  no 
shame  ;  they  stalked  the  clinique  and  dis- 
secting room,  and,  like  parrots,  learned  a 
choice  of  wTords,  not  for  good,  but  love 
of  notoriety ;  they  clamored  for  their  right 
to  do  these  things  by  public  harangues 
which  they  called  speeches  and  lectures; 
and  these,  their  bad  examples,  were  seized 
upon  by  women  of  lower  grade,  who,  for 
notoriety,  would  horsewhip  or  shoot  a 
man.  Yet,  were  she  arrested  and  tried, 
she  was  always  acquitted  ;  nay,  she  was 
applauded  and  encouraged  in  it,  for  it 
was  her  right ;  for  suppose  she  horse- 
whipped a  man  or  shot  him — poor,  dear 
thing,  it  pleased  her !  Suppose  she 
studied  medicine  in  order  to  practise  sin 
with  good  skill :  no  matter — poor  thing, 
she  wanted  to  !  Suppose  she  vented  her 
grievances  in  the  rostrum,  calling  it  a  lec- 
ture, poisoning  the  happy  daughter's 
dreams  of  the  future,  by  sowing  there 
the  leprosy  of  her  own  perverted  thoughts 
— no  matter ;  'tis  a  free  country,  and  the 
poor,  dear  tiling  had  a  right  to  do  so  ! 
Thus  had  woman  attained  a  right,  where- 
in she  was  sapping  the  foundation  of  all 
that  is  pure  and  holy  between  the  sexes, 
establishing  a  preeminence  for  herself  that 
obliterated  all  law,  that  gave  her  the  full- 
est liberty  to  any  crime.     It  was  almost 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN    1860. 


159 


impossible  to  punish  her.  No  matter  what 
the  crime,  people  everywhere,  and  nearly 
everybody  cried  out,  Shame !  if  she  were 
even  arrested  to  be  tried.  Thus  it  was 
when  Madame  Ponchard  was  taken.  The 
rebels  made  capital  of  it.  They  called  it 
Lincoln's  attack  on  the  women.  And  be- 
cause a  few  men  kept  guard  round  the 
Mansion,  the  rebels  said  he  was  a  coward ; 
that  he  stayed  at  home,  and  sent  out  vigil- 
ants  to  capture  women.  These  stories  were 
seized  upon  and  sent  by  telegraph  all  over 
the  country,  and  the  opinions  of  news- 
papers in  far-off  cities  were  returned  to 
Washington  with  such  exaggeration  as 
pleases  best  the  fancy,  to  move  more  than 
ever  the  latent  fire  now  kindling  there. 

Now  it  is  a  good  thing  in  a  republic  to 
have  a  judge  to  suit  you ;  for,  if  you  are 
on  his  side,  he'll  be  on  yours  also,  and,  no 


matter  for  what  you  are  bound  up,  he  can 
give  you  an  injunction  or  habeas  corpus, 
and  set  you  free  in  an  instant.  'Tis  a 
blessed  thing  to  be  a  judge,  or  to  be  on 
the  judge's  side,  and  for  this  reason  look 
out  whom  you  elect.  'Twas  so  in  Wash- 
ington. The  secession  party  had  their 
judge  in  Washington.  The  vigilants 
knew  this ;  knew  that,  for  the  asking, 
he  would  have  the  body  of  Madame  Pon- 
chard. But  they  selected  one  of  their 
number  to  go  to  the  judge  and  take  him 
out  riding,  and  so  it  was  arranged. 

Now,  with  this  brief  statement  on  my 
part,  I  will  revert  to  the  Judge  and  my- 
self, which  is  to  say,  we  separated,  he  go- 
ing directly  to  the  President's  Mansion, 
and  I  following  the  beforementioned  crowd 
of  people  engaged  with  Madame  Ponchard 
and  Orsini. 


CHAPTER    XX 


THE    MARRIAGES THE  DISPERSION — THE  FLIGHT  OF  MADAME  PONCHARD THE  RECEPTION THE  FALL 

OF    FORT    SUMTER — THE    CALL    FOR    SEVENTY-FIVE    THOUSAND    MEN. 


Miss  Underbill  had  now  been  back 
some  time,  but  was  still  quite  unwell. 
The  torture  had  been  hard  for  her,  and 
yet  her  own  remorse  was  harder.  The 
thought  that  she  had  been  engaged  in 
such  a  foolish  adventure  mortified  her 
feelings.  This  made  her  backward  and 
diffident.  Mostly  she  kept  her  room,  and 
did  converse  but  little.  None  of  us  ever 
mentioned  her  adventure.  We  forgot  it. 
We  remembered  only  that  she  had  been 
on  a  long  visit,  and  that  we  had  no  joy 
while  she  was  away.  In  distant  strains 
and  on  distant  themes  we  conversed  ;  and 
of  all  the  guests  at  the  Jackson  House, 
only  the  Judge,  myself,  and  the  slave  Kate 
knew  what  had  been,  and  why  so  long 
away  our  summer  flower  had  ceased  to 
bloom.  Yet  there  was  one  so  close  and 
intimate — I  mean  Vickey.  So  kind  and 
true  this  girl  waited  near,  and  all  wants 
supplied.  1  almost  wept  that  Vickey  was 
so  good ;  for,  for  her  vanity  and  greenness 
I  had  valued  her  so  low,  and  now  must  I 
so  much  her  naked,  pure  heart  acknowl- 
edge, I  almost  did  wish  it  were  not  so ; 
but  most  I  grieved  that  society  could  so 
spoil  and  spot  such  an  angel-like  creature. 

My  part  I  can  never  write,  of  what  I 
said  or  did,  or  of  what  to  me  was  said. 
The  mistress  of  Loudon  Heights  was  the 


purest  and  best  I  ever  knew ;  and  with 
this  belief,  I  assure  you,  words  can  never 
be  of  light  character.  Ignorance  of  things 
around  may  lead  to  mischief,  but  not  the 
heart  will.  Listen,  and  you  shall  hear. 
But  let  us  back. 

About  daybreak  there  did  appear  before 
our  servant  a  man  so  lean  and  tattered, 
with  sickly  cast  and  melancholy,  not  one 
above  a  thousand  had  noticed  him.  With 
voice  from  sickness  hollow,  and  full  of 
woe,  he  thus  began  : 

"  Tell  me,  sir,  is  this  where  Judge 
Underbill  lives  ?  Scarce  my  sight  this 
house  can  compass,  for  loug  I  have  lain 
in  a  dark  room,  and  am  some  bewildered. 
Judge  Underbill,  does  he  live  here,  sir  ?  " 

Surveying  him  from  head  to  foot,  our 
servant  thus  gave  answer : 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  the  Judge  lives  here,  and  so 
does  his  niece.  Shall  I  ascertain  if  he  is 
at  home  ?  " 

In  some  confusion  the  invalid  rejoined, 
"  Did  I  mistake  you,  sir  ?  " 

Servan  t. — "  No,  sir ;  the  Judge  lives 
here.  Shall  I  ascertain  if  he  is  at  home 
for  you  ? " 

Stranger. — "  That  part  I  understand, 
sir ;  but  what  said  you  of  his  niece  ?  She 
is  dead !  " 

Servant. — "  Why,  sir,  then  she  has  died 


160 


THE  FALL  OF  FOKT  SUMTER  ;  OR, 


since  breakfast.  I  carried  breakfast  to  her 
door  this  morning,  and,  if  I  am  not  blind, 
I  saw  her  smile  right  merrily  at  the  sight 
of  it." 

In  pensive  mood,  and  almost  choking 
with  emotion,  the  pale  man  gazed  on  his 
informer,  speechless,  and  sat  himself  down. 
To  and  fro  the  servant  walked,  as  if,  per- 
chance, he  thought  this  were  a  poor  rel- 
ative, or  a  culprit  abashed,  and  seeking 
audience  with  great  and  good  people. 
And  so,  to  give  him  further  hint  that  this 
was  no  time  to  call,  he  thus  went  on  : 

"  Miss  Underbill  and  her  uncle  are  both 
quite  busily  engaged.  Report  has  it  that 
she  is  to  marry  this  night,  and  I  am  in- 
clined to  believe  so ;  for,  even  while  I 
stood  with  the  breakfast  things,  I  saw 
such  dazzling  robes  of  white,  and  such 
golden  head-gear,  I  am  myself  convinced. 
I  don't  think  they  would  see  company." 

Almost  the  stranger  froze,  but  spoke 
not. 

Servant. — "  The  Cabinet,  and,  I  believe, 
the  Presidents,  are  to  be  here,  and  the 
foreign  ambassadors.  The  Judge  is  a 
man  of  great  wealth,  and  very  eccentric, 
and  he  has  presented  his  niece,  for  the 
occasion,  some  costly  jewelry  and  service 
in  silver  and  gold.  Mr.  Edge,  the  great 
railroad  contractor,  is  tendered  the  free- 
dom of  the  house,  and  his  daughter,  to 
blind  the  public  from  believing  the  mar- 
riage is  to  be,  calls  the  event  her  reception 
for  this  season.  But  we,  the  confidential 
servants  of  the  house,  know  and  under- 
stand these  sort  of  things.  We  have 
been  there  before." 

Again  in  silence  walks  the  servant, 
again  in  silence  almost  dies  the  stranger, 
nor  words— for  the  wild  torrent  of  thoughts 
was  rushing  there — could  come  to  rescue. 
At  last  he  asks  : 

"  Can  this  be  the  same — Miss  Ann 
Underbill,  of  Loudon  Heights  ?  Was  she 
not  long  since  supposed  to  be  dead  ?  " 

Servant. —  "The  very  same.  Oh!  ay, 
she  was  smitten  after  a  planter  down 
South,  and  her  uncle  sent  her  off  till  the 
chap  should  leave." 

Oh,  burning,  burning  thoughts,  that 
now  in  deadening  blast  swept  through 
the  pale  man's  fevered  brain ;  and  yet 
speechless  sat  he  there,  trying  to  master 
the  flow  of  grief.  The  servant  saw,  but 
seemed  not  to  notice  it,  for  he,  too,  was 
an  American,  and  delicate  in  feeling ;  but 
he  mistook  the  cause,  and  deemed  him  a 
poor  relative,  who,  by  the  marriage,  must 
lose  something  of  the  old  bachelor's  es- 
tate, and  thus  he  tried  to  comfort  him  : 

"  But  the  Judge  will  never  give  them 
anything.   The  young  man  is  rich  enough. 


I  only  wish  I  were  a  forty-second  cousin 
to  the  Judge  ;  his  niece  might  go,  for  the 
old  man  can  be  wheedled  into  the  good 
graces  of  anybody  who  will  try.  A  thou- 
sand or  two  is  nothing  to  him— only  take 
him  on  the  soft  spots.  A  rich  old  bachelor 
must  be  flattered ;  you  must  drink  his 
wine,  you  must  call  him  and  all  he  lias 
the  all  that  is  worth  having.  lie,  having 
never  been  caressed  by  a  wife,  falls  in  love 
with  you,  and  so  gives  you  his  money." 

"  Who  is  his  niece  to  marry  ?  "  ventures 
now  the  stranger,  with  as  much  indiffer- 
ence as  he  could  master. 

8t  riant. — "  The  grandson  of  one  of 
those  would-be  Virginian  rulers,  whose 
speech-making  and  writing  made  his  name 
notorious." 

The  stranger  knew,  for  everybody  knows 
that  to  this  day  it  is  a  saying,  "  As  Jen- 
kins says,  notorious  shall  ever  be  the  name 
of  Jenkins,  and  the  things  that  Jenkins 
says." 

So  still  they  were,  you  could  hear  the 
ticking  of  a  wTatch,  as  the  servant  paced 
to  and  fro,  as  the  stranger,  speechless,  sat 
there.  But  it  must  have  an  end,  and  so, 
in  time,  this  was  concluded. 

Stranger. — "  Sir,  I  am  that  Southern 
planter.  My  name  is  Wadsworth.  The 
things  you  tell  me  are  more  than  I  can 
bear,  for  I  cannot  weep  like  other  men. 
I  thought  this  lady  dead,  but  I  am  glad 
that  it  is  not  so.  You  seem  to  be  a  man 
of  much  discretion  and  good  feeling,  and 
when  you  tell  me  she  is  to  marry  another, 
you  almost  murder  me  with  the  sound  of 
your  voice.  The  man  she  is  to  marry  is 
my  best-loved  friend.  Alas!  so  isolated 
I  have  lived,  I  never  had  many  friends. 
My  life  has  been  one  continued  scene  of 
trial  and  deprivation  on  the  ground  of 
affection.  I  have  lived  where,  and  by 
travelling  from  place  to  place,  the  fruit 
of  my  love  has  had  no  recipient — till, 
alas,  I  crossed  this  beautiful  flower !  To 
tell  me  that  she  was  sent  away,  till  I 
should  leave,  oh,  what  a  dagger  is  in  thy 
words  !  Is  my  nature  wrong  ?  And  are 
all  the  parts  whereof  I  am  made  unsuited 
to  the  world,  that  all  persons  do  shun  my 
love  ?  Oh,  tell  me  not  that  this  is  so,  or 
lo,  in  fell  despair,  I  rend  in  pieces  the 
earthly  part  that  gains  no  favor  !  " 

Tears  came  not,  but,  heaving  high  his 
breast,  as  one  of  noble  spirit  unfairly  tried, 
he  much  smothered  and  awhile  iu  silence 
weighed  the  matter. 

"  Say,  my  friend,"  he  then  resumed,  "  pro- 
vide me  a  room  adjoining  the  ballroom, 
where  I  can  view  the  evening's  doings,  but 
tell  no  one  that  I  am  there  concealed.  I 
will  see  all  this  gaudy  display,  and  see  the 


LOVE  AND  WAE  IN  1S60. 


161 


marriage,  and,  if  I  deem  it  true  that  Bhe 
loves  liin>,  and  he  her,  1  will  rejoice  that  I 

saw  so  goii.l  a  wedding;  and  on  the  morrow 
1  will  quit  this  city.  Oh,  fear  not,  sir;  I 
have  plenty  of  money,  though  I  am  in  rags. 
I  have  been  confined  in  an  obscure  hospital, 
daily  writing  letters  to  my  friends  the 
Judge  and  Jenkins,  but,  getting  no  an- 
swer, I  did  suspect  foul  treatment  ;  and 
so,  having  regained  a  little  strength,  I 
climbed  over  the  walls  and  ran  away." 

Thus  they  struck  a  bargain,  and  the 
servant  sent  him  to  the  room,  to  the 
pantry  where  the  scuttle  window  looks 
into  the  ballroom.  Now,  some  servants 
betray  confidence  and  let  their  fellows 
know  their  bonds  in  trust ;  but  this  one 
was  an  American. 

Peggy  Vandorn,  Vickey's  aunt,  was  sick. 
The  Judge  had  not  courted  her  for  a  long 
time,  and  she  was  heart-broken.  The 
patent  whalebone  and  straps  did  not  work 
well  on  so  old  a  form.  Her  ribs  got  sore 
and  lame.  Gaiters  did  not  well  in  place 
of  thick  shoes  ;  her  feet  were  galled.  The 
bosom  pads  had  heated  her,  and  her  skin 
was  smarting  with  prickly  heat.  The  false 
teeth  and  plumpers  had  stretched  her 
mouth  so  much  that  it  was  all  cankered ; 
and  thus,  in  great  pain,  she  denuded  her- 
self of  the  things  of  fashion,  and  went  to 
bed.  She  wTas  sick.  She  got  thin.  She 
was  thin  before,  but  now  she  got  much 
thinner.  She  got  so  thin  that  her  false 
teeth  lost  their  suction.  She  could  not 
keep  them  in  her  mouth.  She  felt  that 
they  were  a  useless  expense.  So  Avere  the 
pads  and  the  whalebone.  She  and 
Vickey  concluded  to  take  them  all  back 
— the  whalebone  and  pads  to  the  store, 
and  the  teeth  to  the  dentist — and  try  to 
get  the  money  back.  So  they  went,  the 
poor  old  maid  and  the  gay  young  belle. 
But  they  failed  to  get  the  money  back. 
So  they  told  it — told  how  badly  they  had 
been  treatc!.  Many  people  heard  of  it, 
heard  of  their  foolish,  penurious  conduct, 
and  so  they  were  laughed  at.  Only  a  few- 
did  not  laugh.  These  were  the  Judge's 
friends.  The  Judge  wTas  a  good  man,  al- 
though he  had  many  foolish  eccentricities. 
His  friends  resolved  to  cure  and  to  prevent 
his  foolish  adventure.  Thus  they  ctmsjnr- 
e  1  against  1dm,  to  be  his  friend,  for  they 
reasoned  and  said  to  one  another,  >l  This 
E.lge  family,  however  educated,  and  how- 
ever kind  and  true,  are  possessed  with 
notions  too  low  to  ever  pass  long  in  good 
society  unscathed.  Therefore  we  must 
prevent  the  marriage." 

On  the  morning  of  the  day  in  mention, 
11 


a  carriage  and  pair  of  beautiful  bays  ap- 
proached the  Jackson  House,  and  was 
driven  to  the  stables.  The  carnage  was 
mounted  with  pearl  and  silver,  and  the 
harness  was  studded  with  gold.  No  one 
seemed  to  know  whose  they  were.  The 
driver  would  not  tell,  and  it  had  no  other 
occupant.  Every  one  supposed  it  was  the 
Judge's,  and  that,  ere  midnight,  lie  pur- 
posed bearing  hence  in  it  his  young  bride. 
The  melancholy  and  non-committal  char- 
acter of  Vickey  made  many  believe  she 
was  engaged. 

In  a  separate  room  some  friends  of  the 
Judge  now  held  counsel  with  the  clerk 
— that  ever-mischievous  clerk — and  they 
told  him  Vickey  did  not  wTant  the  Judge, 
but  that  now  was  his  time,  to  take  her  in 
the  extremity  of  trouble;  and  she  would 
elope  and  marry  him.  And  they  pointed 
to  the  carriage,  assuring  him  that  they 
would  make  him  a  present  of  that  if  he 
wrould  thus  cut  out  the  Judge.  The  sus- 
picious clerk  feared  it  was  a  trick — leased 
they  did  not  own  the  carriage.  Thry  tol  1 
him  to  encounter  Vickey  during  the  fore- 
part of  the  evening,  and  that  they  would 
have  the  carriage  at  the  door,  wdiich  he 
was  to  tell  her  was  his  own,  and  a  present 
to  her.  Thus  they  persuaded  the  clerk, 
and  he  in  turn  assured  them. 

But  at  about  that  same  hour  of  the  day 
the  Judge  called  on  me  to  say  that  Vickey 
had  agreed  to  elope  with  him  that  night  ; 
that  her  father  would  undoubtedly  oppose 
the  match,  and  she  had  herself  proposed 
the  elopement.  The  Judge  was  calm  then. 
He  never  seemed  more  calm.  Thrice  he 
took  off  his  old  silver  spectacles,  wiped 
and  readjusted  them,  and  I  knew  by  his 
earnestness  to  clear  them  of  every  speck 
of  dirt  that  he  was  at  that  time  perfectly 
composed.     Said  I, 

"  If  it  is  your  w  ill  and  hers,  I  am  with 
you.-' 

Said  he,  "  I  have  said." 

I  then  told  him  I  thought  a  man  of  his 
wealth  and  position  should  not  elope. 

"  But,  you  see,  she's  under  age,"  said 
he,  "  and,  if  I  wait,  she  may  back  out. 
Better  strike  while  the  iron's  hot." 

To  this  we  both  agreed.  I  am  sure  it 
was  a  perfect  understanding  between  us. 
He  did  not  ~.ay  he  had  purchased  the  car- 
riage, but  he  told  me  it  was  for  that  pur- 
pose, and  he  asked  me  only  to  witness  his 
departure,  not  to  urge  Vickey  in  any  way, 
and  I  was  then  to  return  into  the  ballroom 
and  publicly  announce  the  elopement.  No 
hour  was  set  down,  only  it  was  agreed  to 
be  in  the  forepart  of  the  evening.  He 
told  me  where  they  would  drive  to,  who 


'  The  old  maid  wouldn't  wear  her  false  teeth.     She  was  taking  them  hack  to  the  dentist." 


LOVE  AND  WAR  IN  1860. 


163 


would  marry  them,  and  by  whom  I  should 
send  word  to  them  of  tho  effect  produced 
in  the  ballroom.  We  then  talked  over 
some  matters  in  relation  to  myself  and  his 
niece — matters  that  I  do  not  care  to  have 
inserted  in  this  history,  although  I  state 
that  most  of  the  newspaper  accounts  of 
this  whole  affair  were  without  truth,  and 
were  merely  the  guessings  of  those  busy- 
like penny-a-liners.  One  thing,  however, 
was  true — that  at  about  five  o'clock  I  call- 
ed on  Lincoln  and  invited  him  to  be  at 
the  Jackson  House  at  about  eleven  at 
night,  and  that  I  told  him  that  most  of 
the  officials  in  Washington  were  to  make 
an  informal  call  at  that  hour  at  that  place. 
I  did  not  tell  him  to  keep  it  secret,  or  to 
make  believe  it  was  an  accidental  call. 
But  it  is  true,  too,  that,  when  I  called  on 
Lincoln,  he  was  eating  a  dish  of  mush  and 
milk.  It  was  then  he  told  me  of  the  story 
of  the  log-rolling,  which  was  no  stery  at 
all.  That  is  to  say,  as  all  Western  men 
know,  at  a  large  log-rolling  the  men  fre- 
quently divide  themselves  into  parties  of 
six  to  ten  men.  He  was  eating  his  mush 
and  milk  at  the  time,  and  he  said  the  se- 
cession of  those  States  put  him  in  mind 
of  a  log-rolling  where  the  men  got  drunk, 
who,  instead  of  piling  up  the  logs,  divided 
themselves  into  groups  for  the  purpose  of 
pulling  them  down.  "  Now,"  said  he,  "  I 
am  captain  of  this  log-rolling,  and  I  am 
not  drunk,  nor  can  you  make  me  drunk 
on  mush  and  milk.  I  don't  see  any  differ- 
ence between  thirty-five  drunken  men  at 
loggerheads — speaking  of  log-rolling — 
than  I  do  with  thirty  millions  of  people 
at  war.  There  is  just  as  much  danger  at 
a  log-rolling  as  there  is  here ;  and  the 
position  of  the  captain  of  the  one  and  the 
President  of  the  other  is  exactly  the  same. 
Through  my  specs  they  are  just  the  same 
size.  If  those  fellows  at  Charleston  pull 
down  our  heaps,  we'll  knock  them.  You 
see,  the  clearing  is  fenced,  and  the  corn  is 
sprouting,  and  whoever  pulls  down  the 
fence  will  let  in  stray  cattle.  Did  you  see 
Piussel's  letter — about  the  South  sighing 
for  a  foreign  prince  ?  By  heavens !  let 
them  open  the  gap  to  foreign  cattle,  the 
fur  will  fly  !  " 

He  set  down  his  bowl  with  firmness, 
and  then  shook  his  head  good-humoredly. 
"  Jenkins,"  said  he  again,  "  I'll  come  to 
your  wedding  to-night ;  only  don't  keep 
me  waiting,  for  I  must  run  the  machine 
on  double  time  for  a  while." 

I  thanked  him,  and  then  left. 

Now  it  was  arranged  by  Mr.,  Mrs.,  and 
Vickey  Edge  that  the  house  should  be 
opened  at  exactly  nine  o'clock.  The  two 
former  had,  by  degrees,  come  to  the  con- 


clusion that  no  one  was  to  marry  Vickey 
or  the  old  maid,  but  they  were  resolved  to 
make  this  the  greatest  reception  of  the 
season,  partly,  no  doubt,  in  spite,  to  show 
how  gorgeously  they  could  do  things.  To 
do  this  effectually,  a  suitable  line  of  eti- 
quette officers  were  appointed,  to  super- 
intend the  invitation  cards,  the  dress,  the 
wine,  the  toasts,  the  music,  and  all  things 
belonging  to  a  magnificent  display.  To 
Hon.  James  Hamilton  was  awarded  the 
honor  of  devising  the  cards,  which  for 
neatness  were  never  surpassed  in  this  coun- 
try. The  coat  of  arms,  which  were  a  soap- 
boiler, candle  moulds,  and  railway,  were  so 
arranged  that,  at  a  casual  glance,  you 
would  call  it  the  American  eagle ;  but  it 
had  a  deeper  significance  :  for  round  the 
edges,  the  name  Edge  was  arrayed  in  gold 
and  diamonds.  The  dresses  for  ladies 
were  optional  with  reference  to  material, 
but  the  trail  was  specified,  and  so  were 
the  neck  and  the  extent  of  lace.  Gentle- 
men were  to  wear  coats  of  either  jmre 
black  or  pure  blue,  and  must  be  either 
wool  or  silk,  and  not  mixed.  White 
gloves  were  to  be  presented  at  the  door. 
The  music  was  to  begin  at  fifteen  minutes 
before  eleven.  The  wine  had  been  left 
entirely  to  the  Judge,  to  be  provided  as 
he  saw  proper. 

Now,  as*  all  persons  are  aware,  a  ball,  a 
reception,  a  wedding,  and  a  funeral  are 
always  behind  time  ;  so,  on  this  occasion, 
everything  was  two  hours  out  of  joint.  It 
was  nine  o'clock  ere  the  Judge  had  order- 
ed the  barrels  to  be  tapped.  It  was  half- 
past  nine  before  the  house  was  lighted. 
A  few  carriages  came,  and  the  guests  also. 
One  couple,  a  lady  and  gentleman,  were 
seen  to  leave.  No  one  knew  who  they 
were.  They  entered  the  magnificent  vehi- 
cle seen  during  the  day,  and  were  now 
gone.  In  came  the  guests  ;  the  place  was 
soon  one  sparkling  scene  of  gold  and  dia- 
monds ;  but  the  lady  Vickey,  who  gave 
the  reception,  came  not  in.  Messengers 
were  despatched  to  her  room,  which  was 
locked,  and  from  which  often  and  often 
came  the  answer,  "  Tell  the  guests  I  will 
soon  come  clown."  And  so  the  guests  were 
told,  but  she  came  not.  The  committee 
waited  at  her  door,  but  the  same  voice 
answered,  "  Tell  them  I  am  coming  this 
moment,"  and  they  went  and  told  it.  But 
the  house  was  all  in  confusion ;  it  was 
looking  like  a  farce.  Informal  introduc- 
tions took  place ;  the  time  for  music  was 
now  come,  but  what  should  be  done  ?  In 
the  hall,  through  the  hall,  out  and  in  again 
went  the  Judge,  his  old  silver  spectacles 
stored  high  on  his  forehead.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Edge,  arrayed  in  all  their  glory,  were  alike 


164 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER. 


confounded  at  the  conduct  of  Vickey.  To 
all  their  coaxing,  to  all  their  scolding, 
came  that  only  answer,  "  I'm  coming  in 
a  few  moments." 

But  the  guests  could  not  wait ;  they 
must  dance,  and  so  they  danced.  But 
Edge  became  passionate ;  he  declared  he 
would  burst  open  the  door  if  Vickey 
came  not  forth.  The  door  was  opened. 
Vickey  was  not  there,  only  a  little  girl 
she  had  hired  to  repeat  those  words.  To 
all  their  questions  she  was  non-committal. 
She  knew  nothing  of  the  belle  of  the 
evening.  Mr.  Edge  became  enraged. 
"  Give  me  the  keys,"  said  he.  "  Go,  tell 
the  clerk  I  want  the  keys.  I'll  search 
every  room  in  the  house.  Off !  off ! " 
He  made  everybody  his  servant.  Every- 
body ran  for  the  clerk,  but  no  one  found 
him.  The  clerk  was  gone.  Whisperings 
now  went  round,  and  rapidly,  of  the  elope- 
ment. Mr.  Edge  was  astounded.  Could 
his  daughter  elope  with  the  clerk  of  a 
hotel?  Mrs.  Edge  knew  there  had  been 
foul  play.  Their  daughter  had  been 
forced  off.  Thus  they  raved,  and  thus 
were  the  assembled  guests  astonished. 
The  Judge  became  agitated,  but  he  re- 
membered that  it  might  all  be  a  trick, 
and  so  he  told  them  all.  "  'Twas  just  as 
he  once  remarked  to  Daniel  "Webster :  a 
young  girl  of  seventeen  is  a  slirjpery  thing 
— too  slippery  for  a  king.  I'd  never  trust 
a  girl  of  seventeen." 

But  now,  as  came  the  midnight  hour, 
and  merriment  went  on,  in  came  a  mes- 
senger, and  told  us  all  that  Vickey  and 
the  clerk  were  married,  and  that  they 
craved  pardon  and  the  right  to  return  to 
their  presence  as  man  and  wife.  By  deceit 
the  messenger  was  ordered  to  tell  them  to 
return,  and  all  would  be  forgiven,  and  so 
he  left.  Now,  about  this  hour,  when,  in 
fact,  were  assembled  there  the  highest 
officers  of  state,  even  Lincoln  and  Scott, 
the  sad  announcement  was  made  of  the 
beginning  of  the  battle  of  Fort  Sumter. 
Full  particulars  were  expected  in  a  few 
minutes  by  Prescott  himself,  who  was 
announced  to  have  arrived  in  the  city 
with  despatches  to  the  President.  Mixed, 
now,  was  the  pleasure  of  the  hour,  and  all 
were  horror-stricken.  Yet  the  saddest 
part  is  not  told. 

In  another  part  of  the  Jackson  House, 
arrayed  in  snow-white  lace,  was  the  lady 
of  my  choice,  the  dearest,  purest,  and  yet 
the  saddest  fair  one  I  ever  knew.  At 
eight  in  the  evening  Ave  were  to  have 
been  married  in  the  orange  parlor,  and  to 
have  attended  the  reception  soon  after. 
At  that  early  hour  only  a  dim  light  was 
in  the  hall.     The  guests  of  the  affair  were 


already  waiting  us,  and  I  was  awaiting 
the  approach  of  gentle  Ann,  when,  in 
looking  down  the  dim-like  hall,  and  ob- 
serving a  lady  in  white,  I  heard  a  violent 
scream,  and  saw  her  fall  against  the  par- 
tition to  support  herself.  1  rushed  to  the 
spot,  and,  turning  to  the  gaze  of  her  fixed 
eyes,  there  beheld  at  the  window  the  face 
of  Wadsworth.  Scarce  could  I  move,  and 
my  head  was  giddy  from  emotion.  Fixed 
she  was,  and  so  was  Wadsworth.  I  took 
her  hand,  and,  turning  to  him,  exclaimed, 
"  My  God  !  Wadsworth,  is  that  you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  sir ! "  he  said,  and  burst  into 
tears ;  but  poor,  gentle  Ann  could  bear 
no  more.  Even  at  my  feet  she  sank  down, 
and  no  syllable  uttered.  "  Come  !  "  said 
I  to  Wadsworth,  "  come  !  "  I  could  say 
no  more.  But  he  came,  and  we  raised 
her  up,  and  put  her  on  the  hall  sofa.  I 
then  left  him  with  her,  and  ran  to  the 
orange  jjarlor  and  briefly  told  what  had 
happened,  and  they  were  all  sympathy 
and  kindness,  coming  even  every  one  of 
them  to  where  she  lay.  In  a  little  while 
she  revived,  and  looked  up,  and  recog- 
nized us,  holding  one  of  my  hands  and 
one  of  Wadsworth's.  Said  I  to  him,  and 
I  took  his  other  hand,  "  By  the  laws  of 
Heaven  this  is  your  wife.  We  thought 
you  were  dead.  I  renounce  all  claim  to 
her,  though,  in  so  doing,  I  lose  a  world. 
You  are  more  noble,  and  she  loves  you 
more." 

Now,  when  I  had  thus  spoken,  the  per- 
sons present  were  greatly  surprised,  for 
they  knewT  not  of  Wadsworth's  love  nor 
of  hers ;  and  when  they  beheld  him  in 
such  evil  plight,  so  ragged,  and  so  pale 
and  sickly,  they  mistook  him  for  a  very 
common  person.  But,  though  he  was 
much  overcome  by  the  scene,  he  trem- 
blingly replied,  even  while  the  fair  one, 
her  face  and  eyes  downcast,  drooped  be- 
tween us : 

"  Of  all  my  life's  bitterness  this  is  the 
bitterest  hour.  Were  it  not  wicked  to 
wish  to  die,  I  would  so  pray  Heaven  !  " 

The  clergyman,  who  was  to  have  mar- 
ried us,  then  said, 

"  God's  will  be  done  !  " 

I  then  withdrew  a  pace  and  halted  a 
moment,  when  thus  Wadsworth  explained  : 

"  Long  have  I  been  confined  in  a  private 
hospital,  but  all  my  letters  to  friends  ap- 
pear to  have  miscarried.  I  knowrnot  how 
I  came  to  the  hospital.  I  have  been  told 
I  was  nearly  killed  by  somebody,  and 
thrown  into  the  river.  Somebody  rescued 
me  and  put  me  in  the  hospital.  Gradually 
my  senses  returned,  and  so,  too,  my  strength 
of  body.  At  early  dawn  this  morning  I 
escaped  from  the  hospital,  and  came  here. 


166 


THE  FALL  OF  FORT  SUMTER  ;  OK, 


I  heard  then  that  this  lady  was  alive,  and 
to  be  married  this  night.  The  man  of 
her  choice  was  the  best  and  truest  friend 
I  ever  found.  I  wanted  to  see  them  both, 
and  then,  when  I  knew  theywere  married, 
I  would  depart  forever.  I  am  here  for 
that  purpose,  and  I  pray  you,  reverend  sir, 
perform  that  service,  even  though  by  it 
you  be  my  death  !" 

"  As  I  live,"  said  I,  "  that  shall  never 
1  i s|  1  know  you  are  both  true  and  noble, 
and  so  much  I  value  your  peace  and  har> 
piness,  I  will  forfeit  mine  own." 

Clergyman.  —  "Now  Heaven  witness, 
these  are  Nature's  noblemen,  and  this 
silence  of  hers  is  woman's  greatest  power. 
Say  lady,  which  of  the  two  is  your 
choice  ? " 

But  all  was  silent ;  none  of  us  knew 
what  more  to  say.  After  a  moment,  how- 
ever, the  clergyman  spoke  and  said  : 

"Might  it  not  be  well  to  postpone  the 
matter  for  a  few  clays,  till  you  have  all 
had  time  to  consider  the  great  importance 
it  may  have  on  your  coming  lives  ?  " 

"No!"  said  Wadsworth.  "  No,"  said 
I ;  "  this  must  be  settled  at  once.  This 
ennui  cannot,  must  not  last." 

Still  she  held  to  Wadsworth's  hand,  and 
the  clergyman,  seeing  this,  said, 

"  Is  it  your  will  and  choice  that  this 
man  be  }our  husband?"  and  she  said, 
'•  Yes  !  "  The  clergyman  then  said  to 
Wadsworth,  "  Though  informal  it  be  to  ask 
you  afterward,  I  now  ask  if  you  choose 
her  for  your  wife."    And  he  said,  "  I  do  !  " 

Clen  gyrnav.  —  "  Then,  in  the  name  of  God, 
I  declare  you  married — man  and  wife  !  " 

We  then  all  went  into  the  orange  parlor, 
some  of  the  ladies  assisting  gentle  Ann  to 
walk  ;  and  when  we  were  got  inside,  we 
called  the  Judge,  and  became  and  wished 
us  all  much  happiness.  Wine  and  cake 
was  then  served,  ami  I  am  sure  I  never 
felt  happier  in  my  life.  In  a  little  while, 
however,  the  Judge  and  I  withdrew,  both 
of  us  nearly  distracted  with  the  sudden 
and  unexpected  turn  of  affairs.  The 
Judge  sympathized  with  me  ;  told  me,  he 
feared  I  concealed  the  grief  I  had  within, 
and  assured  me  over  and  over  that  it  was 
the  most  unaccountable.  And  as  for  him- 
self, he  said  he  never  did,  nor  never  would 
trust  a  girl  of  seventeen. 

While  the  guests  were  agitated  over  the 
news  from  Fort  Sumter,  in  came  Vickey 
and  the  clerk,  some  of  the  Judge's  friends 
having  kept  him  entertained  elsewhere 
for  fear  of  trouble. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edge  met  Vickey  at  the 
■  door,  and  the  clerk  introduced  her  as  his 
wife. 

Mrs.  Edge. — "  Your  wife  !      You  scoun- 


drel  !  How  dare  you  run  off  with  my 
child  ?  She's  under  age.  Girl,  go  yon  to 
your  room!  To-morrow  wo  return  to 
Ohio.  You  have  disgraced  the  name  of 
VA^v.    Ungrateful  girl !  " 

'.. — "  You  sent  word  that  you  would 
acknowledge  the  marriage,  and  forgive  U8." 

Mr.  Edge. — "  1  did  not.  nor  do  1  now." 

Mrs.  Edge. — "I  am  bewildered  witl 
shame  !  " 

Clerk. — "  But  we  are  married  ;  I  can 
claim  and  hold  her." 

Mr.  Edge. — "And  if  I  portion  her  only 
one  dollar,  you  would  not  have  her.  1  am 
master  of  my  own  house.  Go  to  your 
room,  daughter  :  and  see  you,  sir,  only  one 
condition  will  change  my  will.  After  one 
year  of  penitence,  if  she  wants  you,  it  shall 
sole;  but  it  not,  this  marriage  shall  be 
null  and  void." 

He  then  marched  off  with  his  daughter, 
but  the  cleik  followed  also.  Now  it  was 
soon  after  this  that  I  met  the  Judge,  and, 
as  before  stated,  heard  him  say.  "  The  girl 
of  seventeen  is  a  slippery  thing,"  etc.  ;  and 
it  now  became  my  turn  to  offer  him  sym- 
pathy, but  he  repudiated  it.  "  I  tell  you," 
he  said,  "the  whole  thing  was  a  joke  on 
my  part.  I  would  have  showed  you  the 
whole  plan  of  it,  but  thought  I'd  better 
only  make  the  assumption.  Oh,  no;  the 
clerk  owes  it  all  to  me."  Hereupon  the 
guests  began  to  smile,  but  were  interrupt- 
ed by  the  entrance  of  the  vigilante,  who 
immediately  told  Lincoln  that  the  seces- 
sion Judge  had  liberated  Madame  Pon- 
chartl  and  Orsini,  and  that  they  would 
soon  be  here. 

"  You  see,"  said  Lincoln,  "  I  must  de- 
clare martial  law.*' 

But  before  another  word  was  spoken, 
came  Madame  Ponchard  and  Orsini. 
Wadsworth  stepped  forward  and  laid 
hands  on  Orsini,  saying,  "Murderer! 
'Twas  you  who  tried  to  murder  me." 

Orsini  withdrew  a  pace,  and  Madame 
Ponchard  sprang  in  between  them. 

Wadsworth  started  and  gazed  in  aston- 
ishment, exclaiming,  "  Good  Heavens  !  my 
stepmother." 

Quicker  than  it  can  be  told,  there  was 
now  a  flash  from  a  pistol  in  Orsini's  hand. 
Many  men  rushed  forward,  and  Madame 
Ponchard  and  Orsini  were  in  an  instant 
ejected  from  the  house.  The  excitement 
was  now  at  the  highest  pitch.  The  even- 
ing's entertainment  was  spoiled,  and  we 
were  all  about  to  disperse  in  confusion, 
when  who  should  come  in  but  Prescott. 

"  Ha,  Prescott,"  said  Lincoln,  and  he 
and  Scott  drew  near.  "  What  of  the  bat- 
tle of  Fort  Sumter  !    Out  with  it  at  once." 

Preseott.—"  Oh,   sir,   it  is   true   indeed. 


LOVE  AND  WAR   IN   1860. 


167 


Twenty  thousand  rebels  fought  and  beat 
seventy-five  soldiers.  Even  at  the  dawn 
of  day  their  batteries  burst  forth,  to  try 
the  nation's  power.  On  Sumter's  parapet 
like  hail  the  fifty-pounders  fell,  all  red 
with  the  fire-lighted  dust  as  the  crumbling 
wall  gave  way.  The  Union  men  long  re- 
mained in  silence  beneath  the  certain  ruin  ; 
but  when  Canning's  Point  and  Mount 
Pleasant  shot  forth  their  deadening  thun- 
ders, our  brave  men  came  forth  and  an- 
swered to  the  battle.  Anderson  first,  and, 
in  support,  Snyder  and  Doubleday,  and 
next  the  three-and-seventy  men.  Each  as 
a  target  stood,  each  for  safety  midst  the 
fiery  balls  and  bursting  shells  his  trust 
had  placed  in  Almighty  God  !  Now  toil- 
ing at  the  huge  cannon,  sweating  and 
faint  with  toil,  those  few  men  the  whole 
nation's  battle  fought.  Beneath  them, 
behind  them,  all  around  them  was  an 
ocean  of  powder,  and  over  it  and  through 
it  fired  the  rebels  their  red-hot  shot,  and 


it  burned  not.  The  floating  battery,  the 
forts  around,  and  the  far-off  batteries,  thus 
for  six-aud-tbirty  hours,  all  day  and  all 
night,  the  roar  of  battle  held  ;  while,  suf- 
focating with  smoke,  and  all  the  wood- 
work of  Sumter  on  fire,  our  men,  muffled 
in  wet  cloths,  still  to  their  dangerous  call 
stood  forth.  But  on  the  far-off  places 
around  was  the  most  sickening  sight  of 
all.  Ladies  sat  on  the  housetops  and  on 
the  distant  hills,  exultant  at  the  unequal 
battle,  waving  their  fairy-like  hands  at  the 
prospect  of  blood  !  Thus  fought  our  men, 
till  all  things  round  them  were  shot  away 
or  on  fire,  and  then  the  rebels  came  and 
took  the  Fort.  Even  Wigfall,  who  much 
had  boasted  in  Congress  of  what  he  could 
do,  now  came  and  tore  down  the  nation's 
flag."  Thus  ended  Prescott's  story,  and 
Scott  burst  into  tears.  Lincoln  turned 
quite  round,  saying,  "  As  you  say,  General, 
we'll  try  if  we  can  fight.  Call  me  out 
seventy-five  thousand  men  !  " 


THE   END. 


i 


RARE  BOOK 
COLLECTION 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

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